Another good night for Grace Berger who scored 17 pts to help the Valkyries handle the Rockets. Ashley Johnson had 16 points. Samsel chipped in with 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and a blocked shot.

 

SHA has now won 8 of their last nine games to improve on the year to 11-5.

Nice article in the Louisville Catholic sports website on the game.

 

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SHA leaves Rockets behind

Josh Fischer

Staff Writer

 

 

In most rivalry games, records go out the window. It becomes more about heart, will and a little luck. Both Assumption and Sacred Heart had ample supply of each Sunday, but in the end the Valkyries had too much offense for the host Rockets.

 

Sacred Heart defeated Assumption 55-41 in front of a near-capacity crowd as freshman Grace Berger led the way with a game-high 17 points.

 

“This is a really huge game for us,” Sacred Heart’s Ashley Johnson said. “I’m a senior, so it’s our last time having this big of a rival game. So I had to just leave it all out there, put my all into it since this is it.”

 

Johnson scored 16 points for the Valkyries (11-5) as she and Berger found success driving to the basket and beating the Rockets (2-12) down the court on fast breaks.

 

It was a bittersweet win for Sacred Heart senior Gretchen Samsel, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL two games ago against Newport Central Catholic. Her teammates surprised her by wearing warm-up jerseys against Assumption that read “All in for #10.” Samsel’s jersey number is 10.

 

“I had no idea they were going to get these jerseys,” Samsel said with tears in her eyes. “I had no idea. That’s kind of why I’m emotional right now.”

 

When asked how she is coping with being sidelined for the season, Samel answered: “It’s different, but I like it because I can support my team in a new way than before and give them something to work for.”

 

Johnson agreed that Samsel’s injury “gives us something to work for. We might not always go hard in practice, but now we are really trying to pick it up and do it for Gretchen.”

 

It was a gritty defensive game in the opening quarter, with the lead going back and forth. Just before the period ended, Berger nailed a pull-up jumper to put Sacred Heart up 12-10. Berger scored on a drive to start the second quarter, and the Valkyries extended their lead to 10.

 

It appeared Sacred Heart would take a nine-point lead into halftime, but Assumption senior Cassidy Janes hit a shot from half court with two seconds on the clock, igniting the home crowd and cutting the margin to six going to the locker rooms.

 

The Valkyries wore down the hosts in the third and fourth quarters. Kiki Samsel, Gretchen’s freshman sister, helped key the momentum by blocking a shot by Nora Kiesler, the Rockets’ 6-foot-6 senior center.

 

The blocked shot led to a Berger layup. Berger then blocked a shot by Janes, keying another fast-break layup that built the lead back to 10.

 

Sacred Heart went to lead by 16 before finally winning by 14.

 

Janes and Holly Wurth paced the Rockets with eight points each.

 

Assumption will take the court again against Butler on Friday. Sacred Heart plays Atherton at home Tuesday.