No. 1 Sacred Heart overpowers No. 2 Manual to win girls Louisville Invitational Tournament

Having won 21 games straight since their last meeting, No. 2 Manual went into its showdown with Sacred Heart looking to usurp the two-time defending state champions as Kentucky's premier girls basketball team.

But the Valkyries proved the gap between one and two is wider than expected.

No. 1 Sacred Heart blew out Manual 76-50 to win the Louisville Invitational Tournament title Saturday night at Valley High School. The Valkyries were led offensively by a trio of Reagan Bender (25 points), ZaKiyah Johnson (23 points) and Angelina Pelayo (17 points), while senior guard Triniti Ralston anchored the defense (nine points, five steals).

The win gave Sacred Heart its record 10th LIT title and its first since 2020. The Valkyries defeated Ballard, Meade County and Central en route to the championship game, but beating Manual for the title gave the run a personal touch.

In what was a rematch of Sacred Heart's 68-58 win over Manual on Dec. 2, the Valkyries (21-3) took a commanding 2-0 lead in this season's series. But a potential rubber match in the regional playoffs still looms.

"They posted that they wanted revenge on us, but we came out and showed them what we're going to do every single game," Bender said. "Every single time we play them that's what we're going to do."

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Here are three takeaways from Sacred Heart's dominant win:

Sacred Heart's defense is key

Sacred Heart and Manual traded buckets throughout the first quarter, but the Valkyries' defense quickly locked in. The Valkyries held the Crimsons to eight points in the second quarter.

"It starts with defense and it starts with Trinti Ralston," Moir said. "If she's not Miss Basketball, I mean, nobody wants to play her, and her defense tonight was outstanding. Everybody else fed off that defense, and it made our offense go."

Ralston's always found ways to shift her game to fit the Valkyries' needs. As a sophomore, Ralston led the team in the scoring on their way to a state championship. She's currently fourth on the team in scoring (8.4 points per game), but her ability to defend, pass and hit a big shots makes her one of Sacred Heart's most valuable players.

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Pelayo dominates in the paint

Pelayo came off the bench last season, but she's emerging as a dominant interior player in her junior year.

"Sometimes I don't feel like I get the recognition I deserve, but it just makes me want to play harder," she said. "I just want to be a better teammate and athlete."

Pelayo finished with 17 points and seven rebounds, and Manual never figured out what to do against her. Pelayo's size (6-foot-2) makes her tough in the paint, but her speed makes her a nightmare on fast breaks and opens up the Valkyries offense even more.

"She brings that size, but she also brings a vocal impact, too," Johnson said. "She's definitely underrated and a lot of people should come watch her. She's elite."

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On to the next

Sacred Heart is not fazed by the big stage.

Its schedule — which has included a top-10 opponent in the state, a nationally ranked out-of-state team and a big-time midseason tournament championship — has more than prepared the Valkyries for the state tournament. Sacred Heart has smoked every Kentucky opponent it's faced — the average margin of victory is 31 points — and looks like a clear favorite to win a third-straight state title.

But Manual is still Sacred Heart's toughest opponent in the Seventh Region. Winning the LIT means little in the grand scheme of winning a state title and Moir doesn't want the Valkyries to forget that.

"I told them to celebrate this, but it's not our ultimate prize," Moir said. "I was going to give them an off day this week but they asked, 'Can we practice?' So we'll be back in the gym tomorrow."

Manual 18 8 13 11 - 50

Sacred Heart 23 17 22 14 - 76

Manual (21-2) : Lexi Weaver 4, Jakayla Thompson 15, Sydne Tolbert 17, London Sweeney 2, Ashlinn James 5, Madison Brittle 7

Sacred Heart (21-3) : Triniti Ralston 9, ZaKiyah Johnson 23, Claire Russell 2, Reagan Bender 25, Angelina Pelayo 17

LIT All-Tournament team

Peyton Bradley - Meade County

Mariah Knight - Christian Academy of Louisville

Lilly Reid - Bullitt East

Leah Macy - Mercy

Destiny Jones - Central

Whitney Lind - Cooper

Jakayla Thompson - Manual

Sydne Tolbert - Manual

Reagan Bender - Sacred Heart

Angelina Pelayo - Sacred Heart

Triniti Ralston - Sacred Heart

ZaKiyah Johnson - Sacred Heart

Follow Courier Journal reporter J.L. Kirven on Twitter @JL_Kirven for more updates on Louisville prep sports.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Girls Louisville Invitational Tournament: Sacred Heart beats Manual