Share your memory of what you would call the "Greatest Sweet 16 Game" that you have either seen or even been apart of.

 

I would say the "greatest" game I have seen was in 2010 when Warren Central played Ballard in the Quarterfinals. Warren Central was down 34-15 at halftime, after scoring 1 point in the first quarter. and came roaring back to tie the game with under 10 seconds left at 59. Player from Ballard comes down the court and hits about a 40-footer as time expired to give Ballard the W, 62-59.

2004 quarterfinals; Mason County vs. Trinity. Mason down 6 late; hits a 3 (might have been Casey Pfeffer). Down 3 with seconds to go; everybody in Rupp Arena knew that Lofton was going to take and make a 3 unless he was fouled. That he did. Mason eventually won in triple overtime 66-59.

 

To this day no one can tell me why Lofton wasn't fouled. Now I'm not complaining, just wondering.

Holmes/Central 2009 Championship game.

 

 

Christian County/Rowan County 2011 championship game.

I agree with the last three mentioned....

 

The Rowan/Christian game you didn't sit down after about the third quarter because everyone in the place was on their feet... Wing hit his first 7 threes if I remember correctly... And Hickey was everywhere...

 

One of the big things I remember about the Holmes/Central game was Jamel Riley knocking down big shot after big shot for Holmes... And Jeremiah Johnson having missing a crucial uncontested layup that woulda won it sooner for them...

Have to say holmes vs central in the championship great game

1983 state finals 35-33 in 3 OT Lexington Henry Clay won over Carlisle county on a last second tip in. David vs. Goliath.

 

Runner up Holmes over Central in double OT in 2009. David Henley was the coach of Holmes and was a starter for Carlisle in 83.

Best half of basketball I ever saw was when Holmes put up close to 50 points vs. LexCath in first 16 mins of second-round game in '09.

Holmes/Central 2009 Championship game.

 

 

Christian County/Rowan County 2011 championship game.

 

Completely forgot about the 2011 game. I went to that game with my gf, sat on CC's side almost right in the middle of their pep section. That was awesome. Everyone but CC could have swore that Hickey was going to take that last shot, until he dished to Kates. Great great game.

 

Christian County/Rowan County 2011 championship game.

This one.

1987 Finals. Clay Co. beat Ballard in OT 76-73. I was only 10 years old, but I remember it like it was yesterday.

For me it would be the semi's of 1968 when Lee Co lost to Seneca in OT. With time expired in regulation, John Paul Gabbard of Lee Co went to the line for FT....and missed, resulting in OT. Believe he was like a 85% FT shooter.

I've been going since 1998 and have been every year save last year (I saw some of the Clay County games as a kid, but I was really too young to remember them other than knowing we were in Rupp once and Freedom Hall another time).

 

After I started making this and realized that it would be harder than I thought. In no particular weight or order, I based the rankings on:

- Quality of the game (i.e., 2004 Warren Central vs. Covington Catholic Semi),

- Excitement & atmosphere at the game (i.e., 1998 Lexington Catholic vs. Scott County Semi),

- Anticipation & build-up (i.e., 1999 Scott County vs. Madison Central Quarter),

- Star power in the games (i.e., 2003 Ballard vs. Rose Hill Quarter),

- Finish to the game (i.e., 2009 Holmes vs. Central Final) &

- Stakes of the game (i.e., 2011 Christian County vs. Rowan County)

 

Anyway, here goes:

 

 

Top 3:

Holmes vs. Central (2009 Finals)

Lexington Catholic vs. Scott County (1998 Quarters)

PRP vs. Ballard (2005 Quarters)

 

Good Games, High Stakes:

Mason County vs. Scott County (2004 Semis)

Elizabethtown vs. Russellville (2000 Semis)

Mason County vs. Trinity (2004 Quarters)

Warren Central vs. Covington Catholic (2004 Semis)

South Laurel vs. PRP (2005 Semis)

Christian County vs. Rowan County (2011 Finals)

Lafayette vs. Male (2001 Finals)

Scott County vs. Ballard (2007 Finals)

Lexington Catholic vs. PRP (1998 Quarters)

 

Thrillers:

PRP vs. Pendleton County (2005 First Round)

Eastern vs. Warren Central (2011 First Round)

George Rogers Clark vs. Christian County (2007 Quarters)

Elliott County vs. Shelby Valley (2009 Quarters)

Scott County vs. Paducah Tilghman (1999 Semis) ***Infamous game

South Laurel vs. Male (2001 Quarters)

Hopkinsville vs. Daviess County (2003 Quarters)

Ballard vs. Henderson County (1999 Semis)

Scott County vs. Highlands (1998 Quarters)

 

Last Tier:

Holmes vs. Elliott County (2009 Semis)

South Laurel vs. Campbell County (2001 First Round)

Ballard vs. Rose Hill (2003 Quarters)

St. Henry vs. Mason County (2003 First Round)

Henderson County vs. Highlands (1999 First Round)

Henderson County vs. Muhlenburg North (1999 Quarters)

Paducah Tilghman vs. PRP (1999 Quarters)

Warren Central vs. Henry Clay (2005 Semis)

Male vs. Warren Central (2002 Quarters)

Fairdale vs. Madisonville North-Hopkins (2001 First Round)

 

 

 

As a kid, really loved watching the Jared Lorenzen and Derek Smith teams from Fort Thomas Highlands play as well. Seeing Lorenzen grab the ball out of the net and stand flat-footed and throw a full court pass to a streaking Derek Smith was something else.

 

Probably the most hyped match-up coming into the game that I can remember is the 1999 Quarters where Scott County and Madison Central seemed to be on a collision course. Paducah Tilghman and PRP also had a good game in that session. If I’m not mistaken, this is one of the most attended sessions in tournament history.

 

Most dominant single game performance given expectations was either 2004 Warren Central opening up and dismantling Apollo in the first round after Apollo had beaten them earlier in the year.

 

Maybe the most dominating performance I’ve seen through the course of a tournament was 2002 Lexington Catholic, though I still wonder what would have happened if Andre Woodson hadn’t rolled up an ankle and been limited in that the Lexington Catholic/North Hardin Semi-Final that year.

 

Another one in that vein of thought is the 2003 opener between St. Henry and Mason County when the big kid from St. Henry went down.

Best half of basketball I ever saw was when Holmes put up close to 50 points vs. LexCath in first 16 mins of second-round game in '09.

 

I was trying to think of that one in my list of dominating performances.

1987 Finals. Clay Co. beat Ballard in OT 76-73. I was only 10 years old, but I remember it like it was yesterday.

 

My family, originally from Paintsville, has a lot of stories from that State Tournament.

Does anyone remember Paintsville/Allen County in 1996? Allen County scored to tie it and Paintsville threw a long outlet immediately and hit a layup at the buzzer.