LOUISVILLE, KY (WDRB) – The Sacred Heart Academy girls' basketball team won the state title to cap off their playoff journey. The Valkyries defeated Marshall County 49-47 in the final of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) state championship, which was held Saturday in Lexington's Rupp Arena. SHAC player Kayla McBride was named the tournament's most valuable player.
The win also capped a perfect 30-0 season for the Valkyries. It was their second state title in three years after winning it all in 2015. They were ranked No. 1 during all three rounds of the state playoffs and never lost by more than eight points all year long.
McBride had a game-high 31 points while shooting 13-of-16 from the free throw line. She was joined in double figures by Kiana Johnson with 10 points and nine rebounds, and Amber Campbell with 10 points.
Sacred Heart is now 35-1 overall and will represent Kentucky at the national level next week in Chicago. The top eight teams based on district rankings qualify for the state tournament.
In other stateside basketball news, Louisville Girls High School ended its run as national champion by losing to Montverde Academy in the Finals of the USA Basketball Women's Junior National Championship. LGHS player Ariana Juarez was named the tournament's MVP.
Sixteenth Birthday (KHSAA State Basketball Championship) The Kentucky High School Athletic Association boys' and girls' state basketball championships are single-elimination tournaments that take place in March and include 16 high schools. The boys' title game is usually played on Saturday, and the girls' game on Wednesday.
The KHSAA holds its annual meeting in May. Members vote on any number of issues before the end of the year, most notably the location of the basketball tournaments. The winners of these games go on to play for the state title. In 2014, the boys' tournament will be held in Louisville while the girls will visit Lexington.
Both titles are won by highest-scoring loser. If there's a tie at the end of regulation, then ties are broken by one-minute overtime periods. If those also result in a tie, then the teams play a second round of overtime periods to determine a winner.
Since their creation in 1951, both the boys' and girls' champions have been awarded a state title. This does not necessarily mean that they're the best high schools in the state; it's more of an honor roll type thing. Each year, the KHSAA names the four or five schools that have done the most to help promote basketball across the state. These are the schools that receive the state title banners.
(April 25, 2021) – On Saturday night, the University of Kentucky became the first Southeastern Conference school to win a national volleyball title, defeating Texas 3-1 (20-25, 25-18, 25-23, 25-22) in four sets at the CHI Health Center in Omaha. The victory also marked UK's first championship since 1985.
The final score may have been close, but this game was never really close. UK opened up an early lead and never looked back, as freshman outside hitter Kaylee Williams was named MVP for her performance tonight. She had 17 kills and a.455 hitting percentage in the match!
This is just the second time in NCAA history that a freshman has led their team to victory in their opening match of a season, as Williams did so tonight with her amazing debut. The other time this happened was in 1989 when Nicole LeFavour led UConn to its first ever NCAA title.
Williams' teammate Lexi Erickson also had a great match, contributing 19 kills and a.444 hitting percentage. This is her third consecutive all-conference honor and she now has 1,075 career kills - the most in UK history.
As expected, Morgan William's impact on this team can't be ignored as she scored 40 points tonight, making all of her attempts (.938%) from the floor.
On Saturday night, the University of Kentucky men's basketball team hosted Florida in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center in Gainesville, Fla. The Wildcats defeated the Gators 76-58. Kentucky (4-6 overall, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) will play Alabama (9-3, 4-0 SEC) at home on Tuesday night. The game is sold out.
The O'Connell Center has been the site of many high-profile NCAA Tournament games over the years. UK played host to the first two rounds of the 2004 NCAA Tournament before moving on to San Diego. The O'Connell Center also hosted first- and second-round games in 2008 and 2012, as well as third-round action in 2004. This year's NCAA Tournament field features four other teams from Kentucky - Louisville, Michigan State, North Carolina, and Kansas.
UK vs. UF all-time series: Florida leads 20-17. The two programs have met twice previously this season with UK winning both games by double digits. The first meeting was on November 11 in Lexington where the Wildcats beat Florida 88-64. The second matchup was three days later in Gainesville where UK dominated again, this time by a score of 77-54. Jamario Moon and Devin Robinson were both in attendance for the second game as VIP guests of Kentucky head coach John Calipari. Robinson sat out the first game this season after being suspended by UK for violating team rules. He returned for the second contest against Florida.
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