The GRC Hoops team are headed to the Final four after a 63-48 win over the North Laurel Jaguars today at Rupp Arena. 

The Cardinals got off to a slow start, trailing 4-0 early. That was until Kennedy Stamper and Trinity Gay hit some threes. Their great offensive boost helped stretch a Cardinal lead to eight at the end of the first quarter. 

Head Coach Robbie Graham was extremely pleased with how Trinity played and discussed in his postgame how her play really helped the team. 

“Once Trinity Gay came out knocking down threes, that kind of opened up our offense,” he said. “They were collapsing down on Ciara and Bri on the inside and weren’t really coming out of the paint. Once we started to make shots we knew they had to come out. It was going to open up the paint and we felt really good about our matchups with Ciara and Bri down in the post, one on one.” 

The Cardinals were able to extend their lead to up to 14 by the half with Stamper leading the team with 11 points. The eighth grader was very calm the whole game and ran the point extremely well for the Cardinals. 

“I just come in knowing that I’m gonna be the smallest on the court and I just give it my all and not be afraid of anybody and just do me,” she said.

The Cards were able to start the second half hot and extend their lead up to 20 in the third quarter, thanks to Ciara Byars. She led the team in points with 25 and also led the team in rebounds with 11. 

Behind her was Stamper who finished the game with 14 points. Gay followed up with 13 of her own, including nine from behind the arc.

North Laurel climbed back in it and cut the lead to single digits at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but Trinity was able to get a basket to put it back to double digits and then quickly got a steal on the defensive end that the Cards were able to milk more clock with. Hoops was able to maintain their lead and come out with a 15-point victory.  

Clark County came out in full force today bringing lots of fans which they will need to do tomorrow as well, and Coach Graham was very thankful for the support that the fan base showed his team. 

“It was an outstanding turnout for Clark County,” he said. “It is great to see people come and watch these girls play. These girls work extremely hard and to see our community come out and support these girls means a lot to me as their coach and to us as a program. When you get that big of a crowd and you know that big of a crowd is behind you and supporting you,  you play a little harder. You get tired at times but that crowd lifts you up and you think – I gotta go, I gotta go. We definitely appreciate our crowd.”  

The Hoops team will need another big crowd tomorrow to help the Cards pull the upset over the state’s No. 1 team, Sacred Heart. 

They lost to the Valkyries by only one at home last month, so the Cardinals are very capable of making it to the championship game Saturday night.

The game will tip at 11 a.m. in Rupp Arena. We hope Cardinal nation comes out in force and supports our GRC Hoops.