money As potential rematch with No. 1 Sacred Heart looms, No. 2 Manual cruises to district title
Ashley Franklin doesn’t want her Manual High School girls basketball team looking ahead, but it’s inevitable when you’re ranked No. 2 in the state and your only two losses are to the No. 1 squad.
“Everybody keeps talking about, ‘We’re going to see Sacred Heart again,’” Franklin said. “But whatever team comes up, we have to focus on that. I want them to make sure we don’t look past a team. That’s when you get upset.”
If Friday night was any indication, the Crimsons’ focus is clear.
Behind the stellar play of seniors JaKayla Thompson and Sydne Tolbert and a relentless defense, Manual knocked off host Central 67-48 in the 25th District Tournament championship game.
Manual (27-2) lost its season opener to Sacred Heart, won 21 in a row and then lost to Sacred Heart again, 76-50, in the championship game of the Louisville Invitational Tournament on Jan. 28. The Crimsons have won six in a row since then.
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“I feel like we’re in a really good spot,” senior Madison Brittle said. “As long as we keep our energy up like we did today, we’ll be really, really good.”
Thompson, a Buffalo signee, led the Crimsons with 19 points and seven rebounds. Tolbert added 17 points, three assists and three steals. The draw for the Seventh Region Tournament is set for Saturday morning. Manual will host Male, Atherton or Ballard on Monday in a quarterfinal.
Destiny Jones had 18 points and 13 rebounds to lead Central (19-12), which will travel to Assumption, Sacred Heart or Christian Academy for a Monday quarterfinal.
Here are three observations from Friday’s game:
Brittle comes up big for Crimsons
Brittle had made just 9 of 40 3-point attempts this season but hit 3 of 5 tries Friday and scored 11 points.
After Jones’ basket pulled Central within 36-34 with 2:28 left in the third quarter, Brittle hit a left-corner 3-pointer to spark a 21-2 run that put the game away.
“I really think the corner is my spot,” Brittle said. “I was just ready to shoot. My coach always tells me to come prepared to shoot at any time. I was ready. I had confidence in myself.”
Franklin said Brittle was too hesitant with her shot early in the season.
“We have to stop doing that and let the game come to us and let it flow,” Franklin said. “Maddie did today, and I think it’s going to stick around.”
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Manual turns turnovers into points
Manual’s swarming defense forced Central into 24 turnovers, and the Crimsons turned them into 28 points. Manual finished with 16 steals, led by Lexi Weaver’s six.
Franklin estimated she has 7-8 zone defenses at her disposal, “and we kind of make stuff up, too.”
“Your defense makes your offense go a lot of times,” Franklin said. “That’s what we feed off of. Whether we’re making shots or not, we have to make sure we’re stopping the other team. … They love it. They buy into it. It gets them going. It also confuses the other team.”
Central coach DeShawn Pendleton said Manual’s defensive prowess is keyed by its speed.
“They did a really good job of closing out on our shooters,” he said. “They’re a really fast team and very disciplined.”
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Looking ahead to regional
Manual and Sacred Heart can’t meet in Monday’s regional quarterfinals but could face off in Wednesday’s semifinals or Saturday’s championship game, depending on the draw.
Are Manual’s players looking forward to a possible rematch?
“A lot, 100%,” Brittle said. “We’re ready.”
Added Franklin: “We’re playing really good ball right now. I’d like to see it go a little bit more.”
Sacred Heart is seeking its third straight state title and has won 37 straight games against Kentucky competition. Pendleton, however, isn’t conceding the regional title to the Valkyries.
“My mindset is that I always think everybody is beatable,” he said. “In playoff time, anything can happen if your team comes out and plays with intensity. We welcome anything that comes in our way. We just want to play.”
CENTRAL 9 12 15 12 - 48
MANUAL 18 10 14 25 - 67
Central (19-12) – JaKyrra Bartlett 2, Amaya Asher 13, Miracle Thomas 5, Destiny Jones 18, JaLa Douglas 8, Shanese Carr 2.
Manual (27-2) – Lexi Weaver 13, JaKayla Thompson 19, Sydne Tolbert 17, Ashlinn James 5, Londyn James 2, Madison Brittle 11.
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @kyhighs.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: KHSAA girls basketball: Manual beats Central for 25th District crown
