Hosting a team of Sacred Heart’s caliber, the winner of the last four straight state championships, is a daunting task. Yet, Owensboro Catholic didn’t flinch, playing the Lady Valkyries tight before running out of gas down the stretch – falling 66-50.
“The fourth quarter got us. Just like against Bardstown,” Owensboro Catholic head coach Michael Robertson said. “We played, fought, and did a lot of great things. We turned the ball over too much, but I like our desire and fight. Were young and going to have ups and downs and we just have to smooth it out.”
The Lady Aces quickly found themselves in an early 10-2 hole, but sophomore Katie Hagan took it upon herself to right the ship – continuously finding herself in the paint and scoring three straight layups. The Lady Valkyries ZaKiyah Johnson scored on the other end to stop the mini run, but the Lady Aces’ Claudia Munsey hit back-to-back threes to give Owensboro Catholic a 14-12 lead.
“Our girls are resilient, going to fight, and keep battling,” Robertson said.
This would be the last time the Lady Aces would lead in the game, as Sacred Heart went on a 6-0 run to take an 18-14 lead early in the second quarter. After an Owensboro Catholic layup, the Lady Valkyries went on a 7-3 run to take a 25-19 lead. Aubrey Randolph and Chloe Marston hit back-to-back baskets for the Lady Aces to cut the deficit to two, but defensive lapses allowed Sacred Heart to enter halftime leading 31-23.
Sacred Hearts Amirah Jordan entered halftime leading all scorers with 12 points.
In the second half, whenever Owensboro Catholic found themselves on the verge of tying the game, Sacred Heart discovered a tiny window to go on another run. Robertson was proud of his team’s early start and acknowledged they will need to fix their issue of running out of gas in the fourth quarter – which was evident in the loss.
“We hit shots in the early going,” Robertson said. “The score wasn’t indicative of how close the game was. It was tight throughout, with it under 10 for the most part, but we just fell apart in the fourth quarter.”
Aubrey Randolph led the way for the Lady Aces with nine points, 13 rebounds, and three assists. Layla Martin also scored nine points, while Hagan finished with eight points, five rebounds, and three assists.
Despite the loss, Robertson doesn’t want his team walking away with their heads hung low, instead embracing the fact that they were competitive with one of the best teams in the state.
“Whether we are young or old it doesn’t really matter. If we buckle down, play hard, and continue to work every single day in practice we can play with anyone,” Robertson said. “That is what we are looking for. We want to compete in the third region and hopefully make it out of the state and compete.”
