High school girls basketball: Incarnate Word Academy breaks national record with 139th consecutive win

Red Knights notch historic win over Blue Valley North at Sophie Cunningham Classic, extending streak that began in 2020.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Aaron Williams
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Jan 11, 2025, 1:45pm
Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis, Mo.) cemented its place in high school girls basketball history Saturday, winning its 139th straight game to break the national record for consecutive wins previously held by Central Plains (Claflin, Kan.).

The Red Knights knocked off Blue Valley North (Overland Park, Kan.) 68-51 as part of the Sophie Cunningham Classic in Columbia.

Incarnate Word Academy's win streak stretches nearly five years and includes five straight Class 6 state titles since a 46-44 loss to Rock Bridge (Columbia) on Feb. 8, 2020.

"Even though we don't focus on it (the streak) very much, I felt like for the entire program a weight was lifted off our shoulders," head coach Dan Rolfes said after the win. "I think our kids are use to playing with a lot of pressure, with state championship and tournament champ games. I think for this one, they felt pressure for our team but teams in the previous years.

"They didn't want to let the program down. They know this win was for every kid who has put on an Incarnate uniform."

Over the course of the streak, Incarnate Word Academy has outscored opponents 9,572-5,023.
Incarnate Word Academy cheers junior Addi Owen for being named game MVP in the Red Knights' 68-51 win Saturday over Blue Valley North. It was the 139th straight victory for the program dating back to 2020 and set the mark for most consecutive wins. (Photo: Marty Beck)
Incarnate Word Academy cheers junior Addi Owen for being named game MVP in the Red Knights' 68-51 win Saturday over Blue Valley North. It was the 139th straight victory for the program dating back to 2020 and set the mark for most consecutive wins. (Photo: Marty Beck)
On Saturday, the Red Knights held a slim lead in the first quarter before taking a 31-22 lead into halftime. They led 52-35 after three quarters and moved to 8-0 on the season with the victory.

Game MVP Addi Owen led the way for IWA with 20 points while Indiana commit Nevaeh Caffey and Peyton Hill each chipped in 10.

"I love the fact that she was big today in this moment. She's 5-1 and plays so unbelievably hard," Rolfes said of Owen. "For a kid coming off the bench, she gave us a huge spark."

Incarnate Word Academy plays Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.) on Sunday at the same event. The Red Knights then host Mater Dei (Breese, Ill.) and then travel to the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass., for a MaxPreps Top 25 matchup with No. 23 Etiwanda (Calif.) on Jan. 20.

The Red Knights finished the 2023-24 season with a state championship that was overshadowed by Dan Rolfes' near-fatal heart attack after a semifinal win over Rock Bridge. The 52-year-old coach collapsed outside of the arena as his team was boarding the bus.

His wife Lisa and first responders administered CPR for more than 90 minutes. The trauma of the CPR and life-saving work punctured a lung and lacerated his liver, putting Rolfes in intensive care for more than a month.

He was cleared over the summer to return to coaching.
Nevaeh Caffey looks to pass in No. 15 Incarnate Word Academy's 68-51 win Saturday over Blue Valley North in the Sophie Cunningham Classic. The victory was the 139th straight for the Red Knights, breaking the mark set by Central Plains of Kansas in 2020 for the most consecutive wins. (Photo: Marty Beck)
Nevaeh Caffey looks to pass in No. 15 Incarnate Word Academy's 68-51 win Saturday over Blue Valley North in the Sophie Cunningham Classic. The victory was the 139th straight for the Red Knights, breaking the mark set by Central Plains of Kansas in 2020 for the most consecutive wins. (Photo: Marty Beck)

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