The Sacred Heart Eagle Girls Basketball team only scored 15 points in the first half, but came out strong in the second half to beat the Badger/Greenbush-Middle River Gators in a Section 8A matchup played in the “Swamp” in Greenbush. Sacred Heart’s Lydia Riskey (a 6’0 sophomore) reached the 1,000th career milestone in the game.
FIRST HALF –
BGMR’s Kenzie Dahl scored the first six points of the game as she made a pair of three-pointers for a 6-0 lead over three minutes into the game. Sacred Heart’s Finley Horken made the first Sacred Heart basket of the game as she made a three-pointer. The Gator’s Dahl responded with a basket for an 8-3 lead, with Dahl scoring all eight BGMR points. Sacred Heart slowly chipped away at the deficit over the next eight minutes or so and trailed 15-13 with 6:13 left in the half. BGMR scored four points for a 19-13 lead before Sacred Heart’s Kate Bernhoft made a free throw, but BGMR’s Addison Dvergsten converted a three-point player for a 22-14 Gator lead with 12 seconds remaining in the half. Sacred Heart’s Izzy Cwikla capped the half’s scoring with a free throw, and BGMR took a 22-15 lead into halftime.
SECOND HALF –
BGMR started the second half with a Zairyn Wimpfheimer basket for a 24-15 lead, the biggest Gator lead of the game. Whatever Coach Brian Loe said to the Eagles at halftime worked because the girls answered with a 10-0 run, with Lydia Riskey scoring six points and Finley Horken scoring four points to take a 25-24 lead less than five minutes into the half. BGMR regained the lead with a free throw and a basket before Riskey made another basket for her eighth point, tying the game at 27-27. BGMR made another free throw and a basket before Sacred Heart’s Riskey made a three-pointer, her 11th point of the game and 1,000th career point with 10:40 remaining. The game was stopped, and Riskey received hugs from her teammates. Before the play resumed, she hugged her mom and dad in the stands. The stoppage of play didn’t stop the Eagle’s momentum, as Horken stole the ball and scored for a 32-30 lead. The teams exchanged baskets, and BGMR was within a 34-33 deficit with 8:46 remaining when Horken and Lexi Lawrence took over the game. Horken went on a 6-0 run by herself, and after a Gator basket, Lawrence scored six straight points to cap a 12-4 run for a 46-37 lead with over two minutes to go. BGMR fought back with a Wimpfheimer basket and two Dahl free throws to get within a 46-41 deficit. Sacred Heart’s Lawrence answered with a big three-point play with 48 seconds remaining, and the Eagles held on for a 51-45 victory.
Sacred Heart improves to 18-6 on the year and will host Goodridge/Grygla on Tuesday and wrap up the regular season when they host Climax-Fisher on Thursday.
J.V. – Sacred Heart won 48-38
| 1st | 2nd | Final | |
| Sacred Heart | 15 | 36 | 51 |
| BGMR | 22 | 23 | 45 |
| For Sacred Heart | Points | Rebounds | Assists/steals |
| Finley Horken | 17 | 3 | 5 steals/2 assists |
| Lydia Riskey | 15 | 5 | 2 steals |
| Lexi Lawrence | 12 | 5 | 2 blocks/2 steals/1 assist |
| Kate Bernhoft | 3 | ||
| Leah Sundby | 2 | 6 | 3 steals/3 assists |
| Izzy Cwikla | 1 | 2 | |
| Anna Kaiser | 1 |
| For BGMR | Points |
| Zairyn Wimpfheimer | 14 |
| Kenzie Dahl | 14 |
| Addison Dvergsten | 7 |
| Teagan Landsrud | 5 |
| Kayla Vacura | 2 |
| Jalyssa Gust | 2 |
| Quinn Vacura | 1 |
