Many, many things about life have changed since February 2020, but one thing remains the same: Incarnate Word girls basketball wins. And wins. And wins.
Last weekend, the Red Knights won the Class 6 girls basketball championship, extending their winning streak to an unbelievable 131 games. The last time they lost was Feb. 8, 2020, a four-year stretch for the high school athlete.
It’s the team’s seventh championship in a row.
This one was particularly special, as Incarnate Word played with the mantra “win for Dan” after head coach Dan Rolfes was hospitalized after suffering what was described as a medical emergency the night before, according to MaxPreps and the St. Louis American.
Incarnate Word forced 18 turnovers in the 53-43 win over Kickapoo (Springfield, Mo.). Kaylynn Janes, who never lost a game in her career, scored 16 points, while Peyton Hill led the team with 17. Nevaeh Caffey recorded a line of seven points, 10 rebounds and four steals, according to the STL American.
The Red Knights finished this season 31-0. The year before, they went 32-0. In both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, they posted a record of 29-0, which takes us to their most recent loss, the 2019-20 season, in which they went 27-4. After that loss on Feb. 8, 2020, Incarnate Word won the final 10 games, including the championship.
The entire run has been spectacular—a 28-2 championship season in 2019; a title run in 2018 saved by an overtime victory in the semifinals as the team went 28-5; a record of 27-4 the year before, and in 2016, a 28-5 season that ended in the semifinals.
But that 2016 game was just a blip, as they had won three straight titles from 2012-13 through 2014-15.
According to MaxPreps, the Red Knights broke the Missouri consecutive wins of 124 on Feb. 12. Rolfes won his 700th game as a coach in the quarterfinals.
