Sacred Heart Girls Basketball holds off scrappy Cass Lake-Bena

The Sacred Heart Eagle Girls Basketball team jumped out to 20 point first half lead and held off a big Cass Lake-Bena Panther second half rally to win 52-46 in the Section 8A Girls Basketball Tournament quarter-finals at the Ralph Engelestad Arena in Thief River Falls.

FIRST HALF –
Cass Lake-Bena jumped out to a 4-2 lead only to have Sacred Heart respond with a 22-2 run. 6’0 sophomore Lexi Lawrence started the run with nine straight points. Leah Sundby and Finley Horken followed with back-to-back three-pointers. After a Cass Lake-Bena basket, Kate Bernhoft made a three-pointer from the left wing and the Eagles capped the run with three free throws for a 24-6 lead with 7:48 remaining. Sacred Heart led 26-11 when Lawrence made two free throws and Sundby made a three-pointer for a 31-11 lead with 4:21 left in the half. Cass Lake-Bena took over in the final four minutes of the half as they ended on a 6-0 run with baskets from Tiana Wind, Kiara Goggleye, and Rayahna Fairbanks to get the Panthers within a 31-17 deficit at halftime.

SECOND HALF –
Cass Lake-Bena started the second half just like they ended the first half, on a run. The Panthers scored the first four points of the half to get within a 31-21 deficit in the first two minutes. Lydia Riskey made two free throws for Sacred Heart before the teams exchanged three-pointers. Sacred Heart led 36-26 when Riskey made a three-pointer, only to have the Panthers answer with five points. Sacred Heart’s Horken made one free throw before the Panthers’ Gabby Fineday made two baskets to get within a 40-35 deficit with seven minutes remaining. Sacred Heart came up big from the free-throw line the rest of the game. Lawrence made two free throws and after a Finley Horken offensive rebound, Bernhoft made a free throw for a 43-35 lead with 5:15 to go. Cass Lake-Bena answered with four points before Sacred Heart’s Riskey made a baseline jump shot for a 45-39 lead. Cass Lake-Bena chipped away at the deficit and got within a 48-46 deficit after a three-pointer with 43 seconds remaining. Sacred Heart’s Sundby made two free throws and after Cass Lake-Bena missed a three-point shot, Riskey made two free throws and Sacred Heart held on to win 52-46.

Sacred Heart improves to 22-6 on the year and will play Mahnomen/Waubun in the Section 8A semifinals on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. The game will be on KROX Radio and KROX TV. Cass Lake-Bena’s season ends at 21-7.