The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
No. 3 Sacred Heart Academy remains hot, tops Hand
HAMDEN — Sacred Heart Academy is one of the hottest teams in the Southern Connecticut Conference right now.
The Sharks (15-4) took advantage of an undermanned Hand team Friday to win their eighth game in their last nine outings with a 56-38 interdivision victory.
“We’re getting better every day,” Sacred Heart Academy coach Jason Kirck said. “Our team is buying into what we want to do offensively and defensively. We’re prepping to give ourselves the best chance in the SCC tournament and the state tournament.”
Hand played its second consecutive game without its top player in Natalie Lucas, who missed the game due to illness. The Tigers also lost another senior during the game in Maya Blomberg, who appeared to injure her right ankle halfway through the third quarter and did not return.
“It was a challenge. If you’re not at your absolute best (here), you really don’t have a chance,” Hand coach Tim Tredwell said. “We had a couple kids in early foul trouble and then Maya goes down with her ankle again. We really don’t have enough scorers on the floor to compete right now and they beat us.”
“Natalie Lucas is a phenomenal basketball player and the fact she wasn’t able to play tonight was something we had to adjust to,” Kirck said. “We had to make sure we got our matchups straight, but obviously them missing her impacts them on different levels.”
Sacred Heart Academy got off to a good start, taking an 8-2 lead thanks to three-pointers by Emma Kirck and Nina Nardecchia, but the Tigers came right back with a trey by Annie Goodrich and a bucket by Abbey Richard to cut it to 8-7.
However, a 7-0 run to finish the opening quarter fueled by back-to-back layups by Morgan Miller gave the Sharks a 15-7 edge.
“Boxing out really helped us,” Miller said. “I know we’re tough and physical and I did what I could to help my team tonight — taking some charges, offensive rebounds and scoring when I can.”
Hand fought back with an 11-2 spurt to start the second quarter, taking the lead for the first time on the night on a three-pointer from Aubrey Canth (11 points).
Canth canned another three to keep the Tigers close at 23-21 with 3:25 to go before halftime, but the host Sharks went on a 12-3 run to take a 35-24 lead at halftime with Nardecchia accounting for five of Sacred Heart Academy’s points.
“We kept digging ourselves too many holes,” Tredwell said. “They beat us on a simple backscreen and we gave up four layups on it in the first half. You take away those and it’s a three-point game at the half and you’re feeling pretty good.”
The Sharks extended their lead to 19 by scoring the first eight points of the third quarter before Canth got the Tigers on the board with a free throw with 2:11 remaining in the period.
A three-pointer from the top of the key by Goodrich (game high 14 points) and a basket by Canth closed Hand to within 4332 going to the fourth quarter.
Sacred Heart Academy took advantage of the tired Tigers in the fourth quarter by going on a 13-2 run to open the period as Hand only scored six points in the final quarter.
“Anytime you play a program of Hand’s stature you have to play hard,” Kirck said. “We had our game plan going into the game and we went in trying to take advantage of what we’re good at.”
Lauren Thompson and Lyla D’Errico led the Sharks with 10 points each, while Miller and Emily Mennillo added eight apiece.
Hand dropped to 13-6 overall and 6-6 in its last 12 games. Five of those losses are to teams ranked in the top five in the latest GameTimeCT.com state girls’ basketball poll.
“Show us a bad loss we have,” Tredwell said. “It’s the way the schedule is. These are the teams on our schedule and we have to show up and be ready to compete. If not, we’re going to get beat.”
SHA 56, HAND 38 Hand ............................. 7 17 8 6 — 38 SHA .......................... 15 20 8 13 — 56
HAND (13-6): Maya Blomberg 0 0-0 0, Annie Goodrich 5 2-3 14, Carson Miller 1 0-0 2, Coco Rourke 1 0-0 2, Aubrey Canth 3 3-4 11, Lucy Schwarz 1 0-0 2, Abbey Richard 2 1-2 5, Morgan Mastrobattisto 0 2-3 2. Totals 13 8-12 38.
SHA (15-4): Emma Kirck 1 2-6 5, Morgan Miller 4 0-1 8, Meghan Kirck 1 0-0 3, Jocelyn Kingsley 3 0-0 6, Lauren Thompson 4 0-0 10, Nina Nardecchia 2 0-0 6, Emily Mennillo 2 3-3 8, Lyla D’Errico 4 2-2 10. Totals: 21 7-12. Three-points goals: Hand — Goodrich 2, Canth 2. SHA — E. Kirck 1, M. Kirck 1, Mennillo 1, Thompson 2, Nardecchia 2.