Sacred Heart Girls Basketball uses a late 13-0 run to beat Kelliher/Northome to advance to state

The Sacred Heart Eagle Girls’ Basketball team used a late 13-0 run to beat the Kelliher/Northome Mustangs 70-56 in the Section 8A Girls’ Basketball Championship at the Ralph Englestad Arena in Thief River Falls.

FIRST HALF –
Kelliher/Northome jumped out to a 4-2 lead before Sacred Heart’s Leah Sundby hit a three-pointer and Lydia Riskey grabbed an offensive rebound and scored for a 7-4 Eagle lead. After a Mustang basket, Sacred Heart responded with an offensive rebound and putback from Kate Bernhoft and a Lexi Lawrence basket in the paint for an 11-6 lead. Kelliher/Northome chipped away and got within a 13-11 deficit with 11:30 left in the half before Lawrence scored in the paint and after a Mustang basket, Lawrence scored inside for a 17-13 lead. Kelliher/Northom battled back with a 5-1 run to tie the game at 18-18 with 8:38 to go in the half. The Mustangs took a 23-21 lead when Sacred Hearts’ Lawrence continued her dominance in the paint with another basket and Lydia Riskey made a three-pointer for a 26-23 lead. Kelliher/Northome made two free throws before Sacred Heart responded with a 7-0 run with a basket from Lawrence (her 14th point of the half), an Ella Arntson three-pointer, and Anna Kaiser grabbed an offensive rebound and scored for a 33-25 lead with 2:42 to go in the half. Kelliher-Northome stopped the run with two free throws before Finley Horken drove into the lane, made a basket as she was fouled. She made the free throw for a three-point play and a 36-27 lead. The Mustang’s Kylee Binkley scored five straight points only to have the Eagles’ Sundby hit a three-pointer for a 39-32 lead. Kelliher/Northome scored the final basket and Sacred Heart took a 39-34 lead into halftime.

SECOND HALF –
Sacred Heart’s Riskey made the first basket of the half before the Mustangs answered with four points to get within a 41-38 deficit. The Eagles’ Lawrence made two baskets for a 45-38 lead over four minutes into the half. Kelliher/Northome answered in a big way as they went on an 8-0 run over two minutes to take a 46-45 lead with 11:07 remaining in the game. Sacred Heart’s Riskey tied the game at 46 and after a Mustang basket Lawrence scored in the paint and Horken buried a three-pointer for a 51-48 lead. Kelliher/Northome’s Thayer made a three-pointer to tie the game at 51 with 7:34 when Sacred Heart responded big time!!! The Eagles responded with a game-winning 13-0 run. Lawrence started it with three free throws before three straight three-pointers from Arntson, Horken, and Riskey. The run was capped by a Lawrence free throw for a 64-51 lead with 3:09 to go. Kelliher/Northome scored five points, but Arntson hit a three-pointer with 1:21 left in the game for a 69-56 lead. The only point in the final minute was a Sundby free throw and Sacred Heart won the game 70-56 to advance to the state Tournament.

Sacred Heart improves to 24-6 on the year and will advance to the Minnesota State Class A Girls Basketball tournament on Thursday either at 11:00 a.m., 1:00, 3:00, or 5:00 p.m.. at Maturi Pavilion on the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. It will be the second state tournament appearance for Sacred Heart with the last trip in 2016. Kelliher/Northome’s season comes to an end with a record of 26-4.