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Donna Moir gets win No. 800 as Sacred Heart basketball wins 5th straight 7th Region title

Make it 800 career victories and five straight regional championships for Donna Moir.

The Sacred Heart Academy basketball coach reached those two milestones Saturday, as the No. 1-ranked Valkyries got 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists from ZaKiyah Johnson in a 78-50 victory over Manual in the Seventh Region Tournament final at Valley.

In her 33rd season as head coach, Moir now holds an 800-277 career record. She’s the third girls basketball coach in Kentucky history to reach 800 wins, joining Perry County Central’s Randy Napier (886-285) and Henderson County’s Jeff Haile (821-240).

Both Napier and Haile are retired.

Sacred Heart celebrates winning the Seventh Region Tournament for the fifth consecutive year.
Sacred Heart celebrates winning the Seventh Region Tournament for the fifth consecutive year.

“I’ve been fortunate to coach so many great players and had so many great coaches who’ve helped me through the years,” Moir said. “It’s not all me. It’s really about the kids. And Sacred Heart has kept me this long.”

Moir will look to make even more history next week as the Valkyries play in the Mingua Beef Jerky/KHSAA Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena. Sacred Heart is looking to become the first team in state history — boys or girls — to win four straight state titles.

Sacred Heart (27-7) will open Sweet 16 play at 6 p.m. Thursday against 10th Region champion George Rogers Clark.

“It’s not easy to do what these kids have done with the work they put in and all of the extra time and stress and preparation,” Moir said. “It’s hard to win this region, and to win it five times in a row and go to Rupp, it’s special.”

Johnson was one of three Valkyries to score in double figures, joined by Reagan Bender (18 points) and Angelina Pelayo (15 points, eight rebounds).

Sacred Heart shot 52.6% in the first half (20 of 38) to build a 51-24 halftime lead and cruised the rest of the way.

“A lot of people thought we were going to blow them out, but we didn’t think that,” Johnson said. “We just came out and played hard because you can get beat any given day.”

Sacred Heart’s ZaKiyah Johnson makes a basket against Manual on Saturday. Johnson scored a team-high 21 points.
Sacred Heart’s ZaKiyah Johnson makes a basket against Manual on Saturday. Johnson scored a team-high 21 points.

Ashlinn James scored 23 points to lead Manual (23-8). The Crimsons shot 30% (15 of 50).

“Our offense was nonexistent,” Manual coach Ashley Franklin said. “Doing a lot of standing, and it was like we were shellshocked. …

“Nobody expected us to be here, and we’re here. My girls are used to seeing Sacred Heart win these things, and we just have to tap in to taking care of business on our own and not worrying about a name on a jersey.”

Moir was a freshman on the 1975-76 Sacred Heart squad that won the state title and is a 1979 graduate of the school. She took over as the school’s basketball coach and athletics director in 1991 and has led the Valkyries to six state championships and 11 regional crowns.

She’s been voted The Courier Journal’s Kentucky Girls Basketball Coach of the Year five times.

“Donna is a winner,” Johnson said. “She’s going to win, she wants to win and everything she does she’s going to win. It’s definitely a winning mentality, but she stays humble as well.”

SACRED HEART  26     25      10      17 – 78

MANUAL            12       12     13     13 – 50

Sacred Heart (27-7) – Tootie Jordan 7, Addison Kincaid 2, ZaKiyah Johnson 21, Claire Russell 9, Reagan Bender 18, Angelina Pelayo 15, Caroline Osting 2, Emi-Lee Howe 1, Morgan Frey 2, Abigail Wolff 1.

Manual (23-8) – Electra Lovely-Tolbert 3, London Sweeney 10, Ashlinn James 23, Londyn James 2, Brooklyn Davis 3, Alana Smith 2, Morrai Blount 7.

All-tournament team – ZaKiyah Johnson, Angelina Pelayo, Reagan Bender (Sacred Heart); Ashlinn James, Londyn James (Manual); Janelle Julue (Seneca); Lauren Campisano (Assumption); Bri Wilkins (Christian Academy); Chandler Duncan (Ballard); Destiny Jones (Central); Kalani Brock (Male).

More high school basketball: Fairdale and Evangel Christian advance to Sixth Region boys final

Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Follow on X @kyhighs.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Sacred Heart basketball wins 7th Region; Donna Moir reaches win 800