New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Springfield Central takes down SHA
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Not only was Friday’s game a chance for Sacred Heart Academy to face a fellow reigning state champion, but also get to experience playing basketball where the game began.
Sacred Heart Academy was the opening game of five on the second day of the Spalding HoopHall Classic. The Sharks faced Springfield Central (Mass.), which won the Division I state championship in Massachusetts last March. The Sharks won the 2022 CIAC Class MM state title.
“Our girls are definitely aware that this is a big deal. It’s the home of basketball,” Sacred Heart Academy coach Jason Kirck said. “We came up here with the mindset that we wanted to represent the state of Connecticut and the SCC.”
Springfield Central prevailed 60-54 at Springfield College’s Blake Arena, behind 20 points from Julie Bahati.
A 6-foot-3 senior forward, Bahati, the game MVP, also grabbed six rebounds.
“I feel like my size set up our offensive play. I felt like they had to double-team me and if I got double-teamed, I could pass to my teammates,” Bahati said.
Bahati injured her right ankle early in the fourth quarter and sat out for a spell, but she was able to come back in and grab a key offensive rebound after her own missed free throw to help secure the victory.
“It wasn’t like a major injury where I couldn’t push through it,” Bahati said.
Sacred Heart Academy (7-3) led 37-29 early in the third quarter, but Springfield Central was able to close out that period with a 19-5 run to take a 48-42 lead.
“They’re not only big, they’re talented and they make a lot of shots around the hoop. That was definitely an issue for us,” Kirck said. “We tried to kind of take away their bigs and I believe in that run they had, they wound up making a couple of threes. We were preparing for their inside game and those threes were shots that hurt us in the third quarter.”
Sacred Heart Academy got as close as three (52-49) in the final quarter. The Sharks shot 8 of 22 from 3-point range.
“I think we have great shooters, I’m surprised when we miss,” Kirck said. “I think they were good shots but their length, their size and their speed definitely plays a role in some of the shots that we missed, so that’s a credit to them and their defense.”
Said Lauren Thompson, who was the Sharks’ team MVP with 20 points: “Everything happens for a reason, no matter the result, we are going to get better and we are going to learn and work harder every single practice. This loss will help.”
The Sharks are taking in the entire Hall of Fame experience: team meal, pregame walk through, staying overnight and a tour at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday morning.
“I love being here. I love the history of basketball. It means a lot,” Thompson said.
PLAYER OF THE GAME Julie Bahati, Springfield Central:
Scored 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
QUOTABLE
“Getting into the fourth quarter in a tight game will help us grow mentally and help us grow as a team so that when we face those experiences again, we’ll be ready.”
— Sacred Heart Academy coach Jason Kirck.