Sacred Heart 56

**Stardust** · 12-16-2011, 12:52 AM

Final

**Stardust** · 12-16-2011, 12:52 AM

Raven Merriweather did just about everything while leading Sacred Heart’s basketball team to a 56-46 win over visiting Ballard on Wednesday night, causing Valkyrie coach Donna Moir to say, “She got stats everywhere.”

That the 5-foot-6 sophomore guard did.

Helping Sacred Heart, the state’s 12th-ranked team in The Courier-Journal’s preseason poll of coaches, to its fifth win in six games, Merriweather had 16 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, three blocks and three steals. She also committed six turnovers, but Sacred Heart survived those to hand Ballard its first defeat in six games.

Moir was pleased with Merriweather’s overall game, saying “she played within herself.’’

Merriweather hit 7 of 13 shots, including 2 of 5 from the three-point range. She made both threes to push Sacred Heart out to an 8-6 lead, and the Valkyries never trailed after Kristin Matula swished a three to put Sacred Heart up 15-12 after one quarter.

Merriweather was on the varsity last season as a freshman and said she learned a lot.

“I came off the bench but watching the seniors play really helped me,’’ she said.

Against a young, athletic Ballard team, Sacred Heart’s goal was this: “We thought if we got the ball inside it would be to our advantage,’’ Moir said.

Doing a lot of the inside scoring was DaiJia Ruffin, a 5-9 sophomore who attended Butler High last year but did not play basketball there. Ruffin made 5 of 13 shots in her 12-point effort. She also grabbed six rebounds and had two assists.

Ruffin fooled the Ballard defenders with her versatility, bringing the ball upcourt, taking it to the basket and playing under the hoop.

“She’s a tough matchup because she’s quicker than people think,’’ Moir said.

About her quickness, Ruffin said, “I’ve been a point guard since I was 2 years old. I can take a jumper from outside, too. I do whatever my team wants me to do and I get it done.’’

Javonna Layfield, a 6-foot sophomore, led the Lady Bruins with 18 points and 22 rebounds, 10 on the offensive end. She took 19 shots and hit seven, but was only 4 for 11 at the free-throw line. Ballard coach Steve Kaufman said Layfield is a niece of Larry O’Bannon, the former Male High and University of Louisville star.

http://saxo.highschoolsports.net/article...le&avis=B2