LINCOLN, Neb. - The top overall seed at this year's D-2 state tournament looked the part Thursday morning as Falls City Sacred Heart handled the eighth-seeded Leyton Warriors, 64-30.

Sacred Heart (24-3) trailed 7-6 in the first quarter when Leyton's Sydney Fortune stepped into a 3-pointer from the right wing. Then the Irish turned up the defensive intensity, leading to an 8-0 run to close the first quarter. 

The run extended to 12-0 in the second quarter when senior guard Olivia Eickhoff scored a lay in on the right side. 

The Irish--the defending state champions--continued their dominance as the quarter went on with Delanie Witt splashing in one of her two 3-pointers to extend their lead to 24-11. 

The Warrior's (16-6) top scorer Zaili Benish hit a deep three-ball of her own to trim the Irish lead to 26-14.

After leading by 12 at the break, the Irish forced three-straight turnovers to start the second half, going on a 6-0 run in the process to force a Warriors timeout. 

The trio of Eickhoff, Jessica Wertenberger and Jentry Lechtenberg proved unstoppable in the second half for Sacred Heart. Wertenberger was constantly drawing fouls while Lechtenberg constantly put pressure on the rim. 

Eickhoff was everywhere on defense, forcing steals and securing rebounds, while weaving through defenders for shots at the basket offensively. 

In all, the Irish would build their largest lead to that point as the third quarter expired, leading 43-22. 

The reserves would get in on the fun in the fourth with the game out of reach as Sacred Heart prevailed by 34 with nine players entering the scoring column. 

Benish (22.3 ppg) finished with 19 to lead the shorthanded Warriors, knocking down a game-high four 3-pointers. Leyton, who was making their first trip to the state tournament since 1983, finishes the season at 15-6. With no seniors on the team, the Warriors plan to have their full team back in 2023-24.

Wertenberger, Eickhoff and Lechtenberg combined for 35 of the 64 points for the Irish. Sacred Heart had just four turnovers in the game, while forcing Leyton into 24 turnovers. With the win the Irish advance to the semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday at the Devaney Center, with a chance to advance to their seventh consecutive state championship game. 

Box Score: 

Leyton (16-6): 7, 9, 6, 8 - 30

Sacred Heart (24-3): 14, 14, 15, 21 - 64