Sacred Heart boys use 27-0 burst to run away from Kennedy

Raheem Solomon (11) led Sacred Heart with 21 points, including seven straight during the deciding 27-0 run.

The Sacred Heart boys basketball team got off to another slow start during an unprecedented late Sunday afternoon game against Kennedy at Alumni Hall.
The Eagles led the Hearts 11-4 in the first quarter.
Then Sacred Heart went off.
The Hearts scored the next 27 points and turned a seven-point deficit into a 20-point lead at 31-11 a little over midway through the second quarter.
Sacred Heart cruised from there and won 66-51 to get to 11-0 on the season.

Defense was the key for Sacred Heart. Courie Stevenson (5) and Solomon (11)
were focused on that end of the floor in this photo.

So, what the heck happened?
“It was more of coach told us what to do and we did it,” senior Courie Stevenson said.
Head coach Jon Carroll lit into his team during a first-quarter timeout, and the Hearts came out better.
“You don’t want your coach yelling at you,” Stevenson said.
Stevenson had 13 points, as did fellow senior Legend Johnson. Johnson also said it was Carroll letting the team know what needed to change.
“That’s what Coach was doing,” Johnson said. “He instructs you, let’s you know what you’re doing wrong.”
Sacred Heart didn’t do much wrong at all during that 27-0 run. The burst started with a Stevenson drive and lay-up to cut the deficit to 11-6. Junior Raheem Solomon scored the next seven points and the Hearts took a 13-11 lead. Solomon led Sacred Heart with 21 points.
The Hearts claimed an 18-11 advantage after one quarter, then continued to pour it on in the second quarter. During the run, Stevenson, Solomon, Johnson and junior Isaiah Gaiter (15 points) all scored. 

The Hearts take off in transition.

Sacred Heart used its defense to get its transition game flying.
“Defense,” Johnson said. “That’s the key.”
Kennedy’s Tyvon Stenson connected on two foul shots with 3:40 left in the half to end the run. By then, Sacred Heart had the game under control.
When the Eagles tried to press, the Hearts broke through it for lay-ups more often than not.
That’s been a theme with this Sacred Heart team this season. Try to run with them, and they’ll run you over. This team likes the game up-tempo, so an opponent is playing with fire when it tries to run.
What helps the Hearts in that transition game is their unselfishness. The willingness pass also works in the half court. 
“It’s just chemistry,” Johnson said. “We know where the sweet spots are. Isaiah likes the ball in the middle.”
As far as the slow starts go, Sacred Heart will work on those.
“Hopefully not,” Stevenson said about a possible pattern. “[Coach] will probably get on us about it tomorrow.”