DEDHAM, Mass. — Sacred Heart won its first championship in program history with a 53-46 win against Loomis Chaffee on Sunday in the Class A girls final.
It was a reversal of last year's championship, when Sacred Heart lost an experienced Loomis Chaffee team that claimed its fourth straight title in Class A.
MORE GIRLS CHAMPIONS: Class AAA — Hoosac beats New Hampton | Class AA — Darrow beats Worcester Academy | Class B Large — Berkshire beats Lawrence Academy | Class B Small — Hamden Hall beats Kimball Union
“It can be a little overwhelming [to face a defending champion]. Last year, for sure, we got caught up in the moment,” Sacred Heart coach Ayo Hart said. “This year, having been there last year, we knew going into it what to expect. We had some seniors and leaders and returning juniors who had been there who were able to settle the girls, because now these freshmen, they've never been in the gym like this and in this environment, but to be able to dethrone them is obviously a huge compliment.”
Loomis Chaffee graduated seven seniors ahead of this season, but the Pelicans took care of business and found themselves in their fifth straight title game.
“This year, it's nice to cap it with a win, obviously, against Loomis, who’s a phenomenal team," Hart said. "I know that they're rebuilding, technically. That's a silly word for them, because they just reload, I think, not rebuild.”
The momentum opened in Sacred Heart’s favor as it built out a 13-5 lead in the first quarter, with freshman Adrian Allegretti scoring two triples.
Senior Eva Wilkerson set the precedent for the game with her disruptive defensive play, causing multiple turnovers and getting some key fast break moments in the first quarter – play that continued throughout the game and continued to make an impact for Sacred Heart.
“This kid is such a game changer,” Hart said. “Her defense, her ability to stop the best player, and then her ability to get stops and convert, her ability to finish from the inside. I don't think she shot any threes today, but she can shoot the three, but she knows when she needs to do what she needs to do.”
The Pelicans, though, scored seven in a row to end the first down just 13-12.
Loomis Chaffee took its first lead of the game in the second quarter after a turnover from Sacred Heart, but the teams traded threes to enter the half knotted up at 21 apiece.
“We try not to think about the score. We always focus on little details, so whether it's rebounding, whether it's transition, whether it's getting stops, I always tell the girls to focus,” Hart said.
The third quarter saw five made threes between the teams, but Sacred Heart pulled away by as much as 10 and entered the final quarter up by eight.
Loomis Chaffee, in the final quarter, got as close as two points away from Sacred Heart, but some timely scoring from junior Lucianna Parrotta and a pair of steals and scores from Wilkerson put the game out of reach.
“We just have to trust in the game plan,” Wilkerson said. “We've been through highs and lows throughout the entire season, so I think just staying composed and focused throughout the entire game.”
Wilkerson, who battled through some major injuries in her junior and senior seasons, was named the Class A MVP, scoring 19 in the championship. Allegretti and Parrotta had 12 points apiece.
“It means everything, honestly, getting to play one last game with my best friends,” Wilkerson said. “Honestly, really amazing, and I've been here for the last five years, so yeah, I'm really happy and excited.”
