Manual basketball receives boost from London Sweeney in Seventh Region semifinal victory

London Sweeney didn’t pout.

Her team leading 54-53 with 16.7 seconds left, the Manual High School senior missed two free throws.

But Sweeney got right back in the play, stole the ball from Assumption's Geriann Ackermann and dished an assist to Ashlinn James for a layup that sealed the Crimsons’ 56-53 victory in Wednesday’s semifinals of the Seventh Region Tournament at Valley.

“I made up for the free throws,” said Sweeney, a Berea College commit. “I knew I didn’t want to go home. It’s all about heart, pride and staying together at Manual. … I knew somebody was going to come and try to take a charge on me, so I looked for my teammate.”

James scored 17 points and Sweeney added 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists as Manual (23-7) advanced to face Sacred Heart in Saturday’s 5:30 p.m. regional final at Valley.

Manual lost four of its top five scorers from last season’s 28-3 team but has found its way in the past month, winning 12 of its last 13 games.

“We went through a lot,” Manual coach Ashley Franklin said. “We’re young mentally, and we have ups and downs. But these girls are buying in, and I’m very proud of them. I’m not shocked we made it to the championship game because they had it in them all along. They just had to believe it.”

Lauren Campisano scored 13 points to lead Assumption (23-10).

The Rockets trailed early in the fourth quarter, 46-32, but climbed all the way back, tying the score at 49 on Campisano’s layup with 2:38 remaining.

“They’re fighters,” Assumption coach Caryn Kovatch said, “and I never expected us to quit.”

James, Manual’s sophomore star, missed Manual’s 77-56 loss to Assumption on Jan. 9 with an ankle injury but was a difference-maker in the rematch.

Her short jumper with 2:22 left gave Manual the lead for good, 51-49. Then came the basket after Sweeney’s steal.

“I told her that was clutch,” Franklin said of Sweeney. “Any other kid would have broke down and lost it. London Sweeney, she was there for us. That sealed the deal for us.”

Ackermann had a final 3-point shot to tie before the buzzer, but it bounced on the rim twice before falling off.

The Rockets were trying to reach the regional final for the first time since 2013.

“It’s been an amazing season,” said Kovatch, who was named Seventh Region Coach of the Year in her first season. “I love this team. They’ll always hold a special place in my heart, being my first team at Assumption. They’re amazing on and off the court.”

Manual is in the regional final for the second time in three years, having lost to Sacred Heart in the 2022 championship.

Franklin knows her team can’t have letdowns in the final like it did to start the fourth quarter Wednesday.

“We got comfortable,” she said. “We thought we could just sling the ball around and go away from the game plan. We just can’t do that. … I don’t care if we’re up by 30. We have to stay in attack mode at all times.”

ASSUMPTION    16      9        7      21 - 53

MANUAL            22      14      8      12 - 56

Assumption (23-10) – Maggie Young 2, Lauren Campisano 13, Kyleigh Hall 7, Zoe Thompson 12, Taylor Burnett 2, Geriann Ackermann 5, Taryn Morris 8, Tia Ice 4.

Manual (23-7) – Electra Lovely-Tolbert 7, London Sweeney 16, Ashlinn James 17, Londyn James 6, Brooklyn Davis 4, Alana Smith 3, Morrai Blount 3.

Sacred Heart 62, Central 38

Reagan Bender scored 18 points and ZaKiyah Johnson added 13 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and seven steals to lead the No. 1-ranked Valkyries (26-7) over the Yellow Jackets (24-10).

Angelina Pelayo added 13 points and seven rebounds for Sacred Heart, which advanced to the regional final for the fifth straight year.

Valkyries coach Donna Moir praised a defense that forced Central into 28 turnovers and held the Yellow Jackets to 28.3% shooting. In four postseason games, Sacred Heart is allowing an average of 25.5 points.

“We know it’s going to take our defense,” Moir said. “We can score, but we just have to be able to defend.”

The Valkyries jumped to a 19-2 lead in the first quarter and never looked back.

West Georgia signee Destiny Jones led Central with 17 points, 14 rebounds and four steals.

SACRED HEART  21      15      20      6 – 62

CENTRAL             8        9       8       13 – 38

Sacred Heart (26-7) – Tootie Jordan 4, Addison Kincaid 4, ZaKiyah Johnson 13, Claire Russell 4, Allea Holbrook 1, Reagan Bender 18, Angelina Pelayo 13, Emi-Lee Howe 5.

Central (24-10) – Nylaia Carter 2, Kinnidi Russell 6, Aniyah Edwards 2, Diamond Roach 11, Destiny Jones 17.

More high school basketball: Manual boys use stingy defense to eliminate defending Seventh Region champion Male

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

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: KHSAA basketball: Manual defeats Assumption in 7th Region semifinal