Sacred Heart took control of this one early on when freshman Kiki Samsel hit 6 of 7 3's in the first half to blow this game open. She scored 20 points in the first half.

Sacred Heart took control of this one early on when freshman Kiki Samsel hit 6 of 7 3's in the first half to blow this game open. She scored 20 points in the first half.

 

What about her older sister?

She is injured.

Louisville Catholic Sports

 

SHA cruises past Ballard

 

Tanner Probus

Staff Writer

 

 

The Sacred Heart basketball has been on a tear as of late, winning six of their last seven games before visiting Ballard Thursday night. Losing senior guard Gretchen Samsel to injury left many question marks as to who would step up in her place.

 

Kiki Samsel, Gretchen’s younger sister, answered those questions, leading the Valkyries past the Bruins 61-48. The Sacred Heart (10-5) freshman nailed her first five three-pointers and scored 20 points in the first half. She finished with 22 points to lead all scorers.

 

"Losing Gretchen the other night was a big blow," Sacred Heart head coach Donna Moir said. "It was fun to have the sisters play together. Kiki has kind of been the 'forgotten one' throughout the year. But she's a heck of a ballplayer and showed that tonight."

 

Sacred Heart (10-5) led 36-17 at halftime. The game had a comfortable blend of fastbreaks and smooth half-court offense from both teams. Ballard (5-10) put up a fight in fourth quarter, scoring 18 points to Sacred Heart's 5, but the spark came too late as the Valkyries held off the home team’s final push.

 

The Sacred Heart bench provided 34 points, more than half of the Valkyries' final total. Ballard’s bench contributed seven. Sacred Heart freshman Grace Berger continued to shine, scoring 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting. Kia Sivilis and Lydia Taylor each brought in six rebounds to lead their team. Senior point guard Ashley Johnson demonstrated her composure and experience with eight points and a team-high five assists. The difference-maker for Sacred Heart three-point shooting -- it shot 47.1 percent, going 8 for 17 as a group with a majority of those coming in the first half.

 

The Bruins forced Sacred Heart into 14 turnovers. But Ballard struggled to convert those into points on the other end shooting, 0 of 11 from the three-point line and 35.3 percent from the field. When asked about his team's performance, Bruins head coach Frank Wright said, "We just have a lot to overcome in terms of experience. Our girls have got to learn how to play the way we are accustomed to playing here at Ballard. We're just not quite there yet."

 

Briana Mishler and Alex Martin carried the weight for the Bruins in both points and minutes, logging 60 minutes on the court combined. Martin finished with 15 points to lead Ballard, Mishler added 14 points. Martin had 12 rebounds to earn a double-double.

 

"We're relying a lot on Bri and Alex right now," Wright explained. "They seem to be the most productive as of late and you have to go with what is working."

 

For the young Valkyries, it appears the sky is the limit. Sacred Heart has five freshman who get legitimate playing time, which some would see as a potential weakness.

 

But time and time again they continue to contribute. When asked about the lack of experience on her roster, Moir said, "I'm not afraid to put any of them in there. They are all ready for the big stage."