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The Sacred Heart girls basketball team celebrate their victory over Sheehan in the SCC Championship Game at Quinnipiac University's M&T Bank Arena in Hamden on March 2, 2026. (Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut Media)
HAMDEN - It may not have been pretty, but the Sacred Heart Academy girls basketball team is on top of the Southern Connecticut Conference mountain once again.
Playing a suffocating defense, the top-seeded Sharks held No. 6 Sheehan to just 20% shooting from the field in a 34-27 SCC final victory Monday at M&T Bank Arena on the campus of Quinnipiac University.
Making their sixth straight SCC championship appearance and eighth overall, the Sharks won their fifth league title and second in a row in the lowest scoring championship game in the history of the league.
"It shows that we can win in different ways," Sacred Heart coach Jason Kirck said after his team improved to 19-2. "Sheehan had a very deliberate style. They played great defense with that matchup zone. They made it a struggle all night long. I think it is a testament to our players that we were able to figure out a way to win even though we didn't play our traditional style of up and down basketball."
Sheehan was making its first-ever appearance in the SCC championship game, and mounted a second-half comeback with a 7-0 run to get within 32-27 with under five minutes to go. But when a 3-pointer by Gabby Busillo rolled in and out, and a layup by Jenna Wresien fell off the rim, the Titans never threatened again.
"We held one of the better teams in the state to 34 points," Sheehan coach Mike Busillo said after his team fell to 19-5. "We were not perfect, but our defense was certainly good enough to win today. We just did not put the ball in the basket enough. We had a three which went halfway down and out, and a layup which rolled off."
After Sheehan closed the first half on a 7-0 run to get within 14-10, the Sharks pulled away with a 6-0 run to close the third quarter. A 3-pointer by Finley Gunning coupled with a basket and free throw by Madelyn Burke gave Sacred Heart Academy a 26-18 lead with eight minutes remaining.
"We just tried to spread them out a little bit," Kirck said. "Once you start making shots, then you make a few, and it opens things up on top."
When Molly Gunning hit from the field to give the Sharks a 32-20 lead, the Titans were in trouble. Megan Wresien, who finished with a game-high 15 points, scored four consecutive Sheehan points to get the Titans within 32-27, but the Titans did not get closer.
"The key was to just get more inside, to get to the hoop because our shots weren't falling," Finley Gunning said after finishing with a team-high 10 points. "Once we started getting to the hoop, we created more opportunities for our team."
The first half was a defensive battle as the two teams went periods without scoring and managed only a combined 24 points.
Neither team scored in the first four minutes of the game before Finley Gunning got the scoring started for the Sharks. Sheehan's Jenna Wresien and Sacred Heart's Alexis Powell matched 3-pointers as the two teams went to the second quarter even at 5-5.
Sacred Heart Academy then went on a 9-0 run which saw a 3-pointer by Finley Gunning and a bucket by Mila Harmon give the Sharks a 14-5 lead.
"Most of our offense comes from our defense," said Burke, who was the game's Most Outstanding Player. "Especially in games like this, when it is hard for us to put the ball in the hoop, our defense wins the game for us."
Sheehan struggled to score in the second quarter, but finally got on the board with a free throw by Megan Wresien, who then hit a pair of field goals in the final 40 seconds to get the Titans within 14-10 at the half.
The Sharks scored 11 of their 14 first-half points off Sheehan turnovers. Neither team shot well in the opening half, as the Titans were just 4-of-19 (21%) from the field, and SHA was just 6-of-25 (24%).
Jenna Wresien had eight points in the loss for Sheehan.
Mila Harmon added nine points, and Burke had six for Sacred Heart Academy.
Player of the Game
Finley Gunning:The Sacred Heart freshman led the way with 10 points, including seven in the first half.
Quotable
"I'm really happy, especially with my sister (Molly). I really enjoy playing with her. She is very helpful, and she helps me keep my head up all the time. It's been a great experience." - Sacred Heart freshman Finley Gunning after winning the SCC title.
Sacred Heart Academy 34, Sheehan 27
SHEEHAN 5 5 8 9-27
SHA 5 9 12 8-34
Sheehan:Susan Hotaling 1 0 0-0 2, Megan Wresien 4 0 7-8 15, Jenna Wresien 1 2 0-0 8, McKenna Liu 1 0 0-0 2, Gabby Busillo 0 0 0-0 0, Julia Cassesse 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 9 2 7-8 27.
SHA: Madelyn Burke 2 0 2-3 6, Mila Harmon 3 0 3-4 9, Molly Gunning 2 0 0-2 4, Alexis Powell 0 1 0-0 3, Finley Gunning 2 2 0-0 10, Isabella Pellegrino 1 0 0-0 2, Biana Coughlin 0 0 0-0 0. Totals:13 3 5-11 34.
3-point field goals: Sheehan-Wresien 2; SHA-Gunning 2, Powell 1.
Records:Sheehan 19-5; SHA 19-2.
This article originally published at Sacred Heart Academy girls basketball fights past Sheehan to repeat as SCC champions.
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