#9 ranked Sacred Heart Girls Basketball comes from behind to beat KCC in 8A semi-finals

The Sacred Heart Eagles Girls Basketball team trailed for most of the second half, but finished the game strong and got a huge basket from Kate Bernhoft with five seconds left to beat the Kittson County Central Bearcats 67-63 in the Section 8A Semifinals at Ralph Englestad Arena in Thief River Falls.

FIRST HALF –
Kittson County Central’s Kaydence White scored the first point of the game on a free throw. Sacred Heart’s first points of the game came on a Leah Sundby basket for a 2-1 lead. KCC took a 5-4 lead after two Kuzna free throws. Sacred Heart regained the lead with a Brynn Stevens basket. The back-and-forth continued with Afton Lindgren making a basket to give KCC a 7-6 lead. Sacred Heart’s Kate Bernhoft answered with a drive through the lane for a layup, and Sundby added a three-pointer for an 11-7 lead almost six minutes into the game. KCC’s Kuznia made two free throws, and after one Sacred Heart free throw, Hannah Warnke banked a runner for a basket, and the game was tied at 12-12 halfway through the half. Sacred Heart regained the lead on a great bounce pass from Finley Horken to Brynn Stevers for a basket. Lydia Riskey followed with a basket and two more free throws for an 18-12 lead. KCC responded with two Kuznia baskets to get within an 18-16 deficit, only to have Sacred Heart’s Sundby answering with five straight points for a 23-16 lead. KCC’s Kuznia continued to have the hot hand as she buried a three-pointer. Sacred Heart countered with a Riskey basket for a 25-19 lead with five minutes remaining in the half. KCC’s White made two free throws before Sacred Heart’sSundby made a three-pointer from the corner, Horken had a steal and a layup, and Sundby added a layup for a 32-21 lead with three minutes left in the half. KCC stopped the Sacred Heart run with a free throw and a White offensive rebound and putback, and Ellie Hanson followed with a three-pointer to get within a 32-27 deficit with under two minutes left in the half. Sacred Heart’s Lawrence made a free throw before KCC’s White scored in the paint. After a Sacred Heart turnover, Kuznia added a free throw before getting a steal and scoring another basket to get within a 33-32 deficit. KCC’s White took a big-time charge with 4.7 seconds left in the half, but a shot at the buzzer went off the rim, and Sacred Heart took a 33-32 lead into halftime.

SECOND HALF –
KCC started the second half with baskets from Warnke and Waling for a 36-33 lead less than a minute into the half. Izzy Cwikla stopped the run with a long two-pointer, and about two minutes later, KCC’s White scored in the paint only to have Sacred Heart’s Stevens hit a fade-away jumper. KCC’s White responded a few seconds later with another basket in the paint for a 40-37 lead five minutes into the half. The teams continued to exchange baskets before KCC’s Warnke had a beautiful pass to Kuznia for a layup for a 45-39 lead with 11 minutes left in the game. After a Sacred Heart basket, KCC made a three-pointer for a 48-41 lead. Sacred Heart’s Horken made two free throws, Lawrence made her first basket of the game, before KCC’s Kuznia made a three-pointer for her 24th point of the game. The teams exchanged baskets before Kuznia made another three-pointer for a 54-48 lead. Sacred Heart’s Lawrence dumped a pass to Horken, who made a basket. After a KCC free throw, Sacred Heart’s Sundby made a three-pointer from the corner. With Sacred Heart within one point, the teams exchanged baskets and free throws. KCC led 59-55 with less than four minutes remaining. Sacred Heart’s Lawrence hit a baseline jumpshot, KCC made a basket, Sacred Heart’s Horken made a layup to get within a 61-59 deficit. Sacred Heart’s Kate Bernhoft made two free throws to tie the game at 61. Sacred Heart took its first lead of the half on a Lawrence basket with 2:12 remaining. The teams exchanged baskets before Sacred Heart’s Bernhoft had an outstanding move on the baseline for a layup to give the Eagles a 67-63 lead with five seconds left, and they held on to win the game 67-63.

#9-ranked Sacred Heart improves to 25-4 on the season and will take on #2-ranked Northome-Kelliher in the Section 8A championship on Friday night. You can hear the game on KROX Radio and watch it on KROX TV with a pre-game show at 6:30 p.m.
KCC’s season ends with a record of 18-10 and says goodbye to Hanna Warnke, Afton Lindgren, Kamela Hanson, Kaydence White, Kasey Waling, and Greta Kuznia.