LEXINGTON — The defending state champion Sacred Heart Valkyries started off slow but heated up as the game progressed during their 70-33 Win over Lawrence County during first round action of Wednesday’s Mingua Beef Jerky Girls’ Sweet 16.
Sacred Heart has now won nine straight state tournament games and are three wins away from capturing its third straight state championship.
The last time they dropped a state tournament matchup was back in 2020, a 58-57 decision to South Laurel.
Reagan Bender led the Valkyries with 24 points, five rebounds, and four assists while ZaKiyah Johnson finished with 19 points five rebounds, and seven assists. Angelina Pelayo scored 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting while recording six rebounds, and three assists.
Sacred Heart finished the game hitting 30-of-50 shot attempts from the floor, including a 4-of-12 effort from 3-point range. The Valkyries finished with 27 rebounds, and 28 assists.
Lawrence County was led in scoring by K. Feltner’s 14 points while S. Adkins scored 11 points. The Lady Bulldogs grabbed 33 rebounds but finished 12-of-48 from the floor, and only 3-of-18 from 3-point range.
Sacred Heart will now face-off against Owensboro Catholic during quarterfinal action on Friday at 11 a.m. the Lady Aces defeated Bowling Green earlier on Wednesday, 54-51.
It took both teams a while to start clicking in the first quarter.
Sacred Heart did enough to take a 10-6 lead into the second quarter thanks to a 5-of-15 shooting effort and a solid defensive effort that limited the Lasy Bulldogs to only 2-of-15 shooting.
Bender had four points in the opening quarter as but Lawrence County was able to remain in the game due to outrebounding their opponents, 14-9.
Both teams struggled to find the basket throughout the beginning of the second quarter before Sacred Heart went on a 13-0 run the last three minutes and 13 seconds of the first half to take a commanding 29-18 advantage at halftime.
Bender and Pelayo both had eight points apiece in the first half for the Valkyries while Johnson had seven points. Sacred Heart shot 13-of-27 from the floor but was outrebounded, 20-16.
The Lady Bulldogs hit 7-of-28 from the floor, but improved in the second quarter with a 5-of-13 effort. Feltner had eight points while Adkins scored five points.
The Valkyries put the game out of reach in the third quarter, outscoring the Lady Bulldogs, 23-8, to take a 52-26 cushion into the fourth quarter.
Bender added 11 more points during the third quarter while Johnson added seven points.
Sacred Heart shot 9-of-12 in the third quarter.
