The record win streak may have ended but the
Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis) basketball team ended its season as the Class 6 state champions in Missouri for the eighth straight season. The Red Knights beat
Staley (Kansas City) 55-41 on Thursday for the program's 15th overall crown.
Incarnate Word Academy led 24-19 at half and used a 15-4 run in the third period to create separation against Staley (29-2).
Throughout their historic 141-game win streak, head coach Dan Rolfes said the regular-season victories were preparation for his team's ultimate goal — a state title.
The Red Knights broke the record for the longest win streak this
season with their 139th straight victory Jan. 11, beating Kansas
Class 6A champion Blue Valley North 68-51 at the Sophie Cunningham
Classic. They ran the streak to 141 victories before it was snapped at
the Hoophall Classic nine days later, falling 74-65 to No. 3 Etiwanda,
which just won its unprecedented third straight California Open Division
title.
Indiana commit Nevaeh Caffey helped No. 23 Incarnate Word Academy to its eight straight Missouri Class 6 title on Thursday. The Red Knights beat Staley 55-41. (FILE PHOTO: Marty Beck)
Except for the COVID-canceled final in 2020,
Incarnate Word has a state title every year since 2017. Since 2010, the
Red Knights have won 12 state titles in 13 championship game appearances along with five
third-place finishes and two fourth-place finishes.
The path to this year's title was far different that the one last season when Rolfes collapsed outside the Mizzou Arena following a semifinal win with a near-fatal heart attack. He was in intensive care for nearly a month while his team played the final with heavy hearts. Rolfes' recovery was nothing short of miraculous and he vowed to be healthy enough to return to the bench for the 2024-25 season.
During the semifinal victory Wednesday, Rolfes wore a "MU EMS" shirt given to him by one of the ambulance drivers who took him to the hospital and visited him every day during his stay.
"He came in every day to see me and when I left, he gave me this shirt and I told him 'I'm going to wear this when I'm back at state next year,'" Rolfes said in a Wednesday press conference. "I don't think he believed me. So I'm stubborn and wearing this shirt to prove him wrong."
