By: Hallie Jones
As another season of girls’ basketball begins, the Irish are in the spotlight as State Champions of the 2024-2025 season. Last year’s team had a 25-4 record, taking down almost every opponent they saw. With one senior and only nine girls on the roster, the Irish were able to come out on top.
Last year’s success was not only because of the girls on the team, but also because of the people behind the scenes. Due to the new NSAA rule, 7th and 8th grade students were able to practice with the high school basketball teams as managers, but were not able to play on varsity teams. This new rule allowed practices to be more productive and efficient, ultimately helping the teams get more out of practice when preparing for games. This contributed to the success of last year’s Sacred Heart girls’ basketball team. Those who helped with last year’s practices, now freshmen, show lots of promise leading into the 2025-2026 season.
This year, there are four returning starters and seven of the nine girls from last year’s roster. The two seniors this year, Daycee Witt and Avery Santo, set high standards. Last season, Witt averaged 11.2 points a game and 5.1 rebounds. She plans to increase all her stats and bring even more to the table. Considering her quick hands, ability to drive past opponents, and being a threat around the three-point line, she will be very tough to guard.
Santo, a shooting guard, averaged 10.5 points a game and 3.0 rebounds. She also set the record for most D2 three-point goals in a state tournament, making 7 out of 11 attempts in one game and 15 overall in the tournament last season. She will be a crucial part of Sacred Heart’s offense and a tough player to guard around the perimeter because of her ability to get a hot hand during games.
The other two returning starters are juniors. Dorothy Crouse averaged 3.6 points and 4.4 rebounds a game and is a great driver who will spend plenty of time in the paint this year, considering her quick feet and ability to read the defense well. The other junior, Hallie Jones, is a post player who averaged 6.1 points and picked up 7.1 rebounds last year. Jones shows lots of promise this season on the blocks both defensively and offensively. She plans to step up her game to hopefully pick up more points each game and rebounds off the boards.
Alise Reschke, a junior, is a guard and post. Reschke gave lots of great minutes last year off the bench, averaging 1.9 points and 2.5 boards. She is a very universal player and has great defensive and offensive strategies. She will be part of the starting five this year and will be a fun player to watch.
This year, there are 10 underclassmen on the roster, including one sophomore and nine freshmen. The sophomore, Ryann Westengaard, will see a lot more playing time this season. She gave lots of great minutes off the bench last year as well. With her ability to drive the ball and be a great shooter, she will be used a bunch this year.
The freshmen – Kemper Sipple, Bailey Lemerond, Payten Georges, Brynlie Jones, Lena Delaney, Rachel Bauman, CeeJay Tisdel, Kinley Lechtenberg, and Macy Taft – will be a crucial part of this year’s team. Bailey Lemerond, a point guard, will see lots of playing time this year due to her ability to drive past defenders and her great shooting ability. Kemper Sipple, a post player, will also see lots of minutes off the bench. Sipple will be a great addition to the team’s game with her ability to rebound and finish around the rim. Payten Georges and Macy Taft, both guards, will also see some time on the court this year, being great subs who can help on both offense and defense.
This year will be a fun season to watch with the big lineup, seeing the team grow, and watching the success of the Irish. With a deep roster, the team will be able to get better breaks and stay more refreshed coming off the bench, giving them more of an edge. This season consists of lots of underclassmen, and it will be interesting to see how the team grows into even more success. The Irish are eager to play and will be a team to look out for this winter.
