5 Questions After Sacred Heart vs Ryle

In a matchup between two of the top teams and top players in the state, the Sacred Heart Valkyries defeated the Ryle Lady Raiders 83-61.  While the game was tight early, Sacred Heart pulled away thanks to their physical play, which created plenty of turnovers and transition opportunities, which they converted with strong offense both in and outside.  Seniors <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/erin-toller/">[player_tooltip player_id="80496" first="Erin" last="Toller"]</a>, <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/destinee-marshall/">[player_tooltip player_id="31816" first="Destinee" last="Marshall"]</a>, and <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/kristen-clemons/">[player_tooltip player_id="80506" first="Kristen" last="Clemons"]</a> led the way for the Valkyries, while senior <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/maddie-scherr/">[player_tooltip player_id="31803" first="Maddie" last="Scherr"]</a> stood out for the Lady Raiders.  Here are 5 questions coming out of this game. <strong>Can anyone stop <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/erin-toller/">[player_tooltip player_id="80496" first="Erin" last="Toller"]</a>?</strong> Based on her performance Friday night, it doesn’t look like it.  Toller did everything for the Valkyries, scoring rebounding, passing, and making plays on defense to create transition opportunities.  All told the senior forward totaled 27 points and 11 rebounds while making numerous plays that don’t stand out on the box score.  While her size and athleticism don’t necessarily stand out compared to other elite players, Toller is a gamer who plays with a very physical, veteran style that combines with a great scoring touch and basketball IQ to make her pretty much unstoppable. <strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/maddie-scherr/">How much can </a><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/maddie-scherr/">[player_tooltip player_id="31803" first="Maddie" last="Scherr"]</a><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/maddie-scherr/"> do</a>?</strong> The other elite player on the court last night was Scherr, who was honored pregame for scoring 2,000 points.  The senior guard is considered by many as the best player in the state, and although she came out on the losing end Saturday, she did nothing to disprove that notion.  While not quite as unstoppable as Toller, Scherr was the most well-rounded player on the floor.  She ran her team’s offense, either scoring or assisting on a huge percentage of their buckets, while also being their best rebounder and defender. <strong>What’s the difference between these teams?</strong> In short, the major difference was the rest of the players outside of Scherr and Toller.  With each team featuring a truly elite player, Sacred Heart’s supporting cast outperformed Ryle’s by a significant margin.  The two players who really stepped up were senior guard <strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/destinee-marshall/">[player_tooltip player_id="31816" first="Destinee" last="Marshall"]</a> </strong>and senior forward <strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/kristen-clemons/">[player_tooltip player_id="80506" first="Kristen" last="Clemons"]</a>.</strong>  Marshall was great from outside, knocking down numerous shots from outside en route to a 23 point performance while also playing lockdown defense on the other end.  Clemons was absolutely dominant on the glass, pulling down 18 boards, and making the most of her scoring opportunities for 19 points.  Their top-notch performances were a huge part of what made Sacred Heart so dominant in this game. <strong>Who can step up for Ryle?</strong> While they were undoubtedly outperformed by Sacred Heart’s secondary players, the rest of Ryle’s team still played well.  Junior <strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/brie-crittendon/">[player_tooltip player_id="88421" first="Brie" last="Crittendon"]</a></strong> came down with some great offensive rebounds and made some nice plays on offense, particularly scoring inside.  8th grade forward <strong>Quinn Eubank</strong> also played well inside, particularly showcasing a nice scoring touch as the team’s 2nd biggest offensive threat.  Fellow 8th grade forward <strong>Sarah Baker</strong> also did well with some solid rebound and interior defense.  These players are obviously younger than Sacred Heart’s supporting cast and still have much room for improvement, and if they, along with freshman guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="164392" first="Abby" last="Holtman"]</strong>, can continue to improve, they can get Ryle back to the level that resulted in a state championship last season. <strong>Is Sacred Heart the top team in the state?</strong> Well, it’s certainly hard to doubt that so far.  Not only do they have Toller, who looks to be fully back on top after struggling with knee injuries, but they have several other outstanding players in Marshall and Clemons, as well as freshman guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="164387" first="Triniti" last="Ralston"]</strong> who played well before going down with an ankle injury in the 2nd quarter.  If they can all continue performing at the level they’ve shown so far, there may be no way to stop the Valkyries.