article 12th Region Week 12 Review: The Calm Before the Storm

[TDC]

The regular season is behind us; the slate is now clean and every 12^th Region team is essentially 0-0 with a chance to advance to the Region Tournament. The District Tournament preview and predictions can be found in a separate article.

 

Here is a look at the Week 12 results, rankings, regular season and Region and District won/loss records, and Week 13 District match-ups:

 

1. Danville (26-4, 16-1, 6-0) –The Admirals ended the regular season with three comfortable victories, winning 60-46 at Russell County on Tuesday, 67-59 at home against Somerset on Thursday, and 73-65 at East Jessamine on Friday. Danville dropped only one Region game all year, a 51-40 loss to Wayne County on a neutral court in December, and went undefeated in the loaded 45^th District. Danville faces the winner of the Garrard County-KSD on Wednesday in a 45^th District semifinal elimination game.

 

2. Wayne County (22-8, 14-2, 4-0) – The Cardinals defeated Boyle County 74-60 this past Tuesday, ending regular season Region play with only two blemishes – back-to-back mid-December losses to Pulaski and Danville. Wayne traveled to Lexington Catholic on Friday, where the Cardinals struggled against the Knights’ press and getting open looks against the 3-2 zone, and had no answer defensively for the Lexington Catholic beef inside, losing 58-49 to close out the regular season. Wayne County has a bye to the 48^th District finals where they will face the winner of Southwestern-McCreary Central on Friday this week.

 

3. Lincoln County (18-13, 13-6, 3-3) – The Patriots had a nice tournament warm-up week, going 2-0 starting with a thrilling 64-61 overtime win over Lexington Catholic on Tuesday night which featured a late-game comeback by Lincoln and a game-tying 3-pointer by Sophomore Guard Baylor Mattingly in the final seconds to force the overtime. Lincoln County then traveled to play an improving Casey County team on Friday, surviving a cold shooting night to prevail 65-55. The Patriots play Boyle County on Wednesday in the 45^th District Tournament, the teams split games during the regular season.

 

4. Mercer County(17-10, 9-6, 4-1)– This past week the Titans played only one game, winning 79-75 at Madison Southern on Monday where Senior Guard and 12^th Region Player of the Year Carter Baughman celebrated his award by dropping 30 points on the Eagles. Mercer County has won 8 of 10 games down the stretch and enters the 46^th District as one of the hotter teams, they play Burgin on Monday to kick off the District Tournament.

 

5. Boyle County (9-16, 7-7, 2-4) – Boyle County had a challenging tournament preparation week, dropping two games to end the regular season on a three-game losing streak. The Rebels lost 74-60 at Region #2 Wayne County on Tuesday, and at Oldham County on Thursday. Boyle County has a very challenging 45^th District game against Region #3 Lincoln County on Wednesday, an elimination game which will send one very good team home early.

 

6. West Jessamine (14-12, 3-6, 2-2) – West Jessamine closed out the regular season with a 73-69 home win over Paul Laurence Dunbar on Tuesday, a team they also defeated back in December and which turned around three days later and shocked the state with an upset of Scott County. The Colts play crosstown rival East Jessamine on Tuesday in a 46^th District elimination game.

 

7. Somerset (15-13, 8-6, 6-0) – The Briar Jumpers defeated Garrard County 79-61 at home on Tuesday, then lost 67-59 at Region #1 Danville on Thursday. Somerset plays Casey County on Monday in an elimination game in the 47^th District Tournament opener, the Rebels are a team the Briar Jumpers have defeated twice this season but has been playing well down the stretch.

 

8. Pulaski County (17-11, 10-5, 4-2) – It was a rough final week for the Maroons, losing 79-69 at Corbin on Tuesday and dropping a 67-65 home game against an athletic Christian County team on Thursday. Pulaski hosts District play starting on Monday against Rockcastle County, whom they have defeated twice this season, both times by comfortable margins.

 

9. Garrard County (12-14, 5-9, 1-5) – The Golden Lions played two games without 12^th Region leading scorer Braden Sebastian this week, but he is expected to be ready to go for the District Tournament. Garrard lost 79-61 at Somerset on Tuesday this week, then squeezed out a season-closing home win against Western Hills 56-55 on Thursday. The Golden Lions should be able to handle KSD on Monday in the kick off of the 45^th District Tournament, before facing Danville in what would be an elimination game on Wednesday.

 

10. Casey County (14-16, 6-11, 1-5) – Casey played three games at home this week, winning Monday 81-71 against McCreary Central, losing 85-71 on Thursday to Taylor County and 65-55 on Friday to Lincoln County. The Rebels have improved during the season and have a chance to advance to the 12^th Region Tournament if they can defeat Somerset in 47^th District play on Monday.

 

11. East Jessamine (11-17, 3-8, 1-3) – This week the Jaguars defeated Bluegrass United (homeschool) 80-65 on Tuesday, then dropped a 73-65 home game to Region #1 Danville on Friday. East played toe-to-toe with the Region’s #1 team for most of the game, as Sophomore Guard Ben McNew continued to scorch the nets from behind the 3-point arc, going 5 for 9 from deep to keep the Jaguars in the game against the Admirals. The Jaguars play West Jessamine on Tuesday in the 46^th District, the teams split games during the regular season.

 

12. Southwestern (13-16, 4-8, 2-2) – The Warriors had one of their better wins of the season in a 61-51 victory over a solid Perry County Central team at home on Tuesday this week, then traveled East to play Cordia on Friday, a team they had defeated 77-73 at home a few weeks back, but lost 73-68 to close out the regular season. The Warriors will face McCreary Central on their home court Monday to open 48^th District play, they own two victories over the Raiders this season but both games were tight and this elimination game looks to be one that could go either way.

 

13. McCreary Central (8-22, 1-13, 0-4) – The Raiders lost 81-71 at Casey County on Monday, defeated Cumberland Home School 75-33 at home on Tuesday, and finished the regular season at home against Barbourville on Friday with a 68-60 loss. McCreary hosts the 48^th District Tournament and plays Southwestern in the opening round on Monday.

 

14. Burgin (20-8, 1-1, 0-1) – The Bulldogs finished a very successful regular season with a 3-0 week, defeating Evangel Christian 63-53, Danville Christian 64-40, and Jackson City 79-72 to hit the 20-win milestone for only the third time since 1943. Burgin is hosting the 46^th District Tournament at Jack Coleman Sr. Gymnasium and gets Mercer County in the first round on Monday.

 

15. Rockcastle County (5-24, 1-12, 0-5) – The Rockets dropped three games this past week, 58-54 at home to Whitley, 68-48 at home to South Laurel, and 63-58 on the road against Russell County. The Rockets will face Pulaski County on their home floor in 47^th District Tournament play on Monday.

 

16. Danville Christian - Danville Christian lost 64-40 to Burgin this past week, defeated Covington Latin 64-40 in the opening round of the KCAC tournament, then completed their season with a 73-46 loss to Calvary Christian in the KCAC semifinals.

 

17. Kentucky School for the Deaf (KSD) (0-21, 0-1, 0-0) – KSD lost 49-23 to the Danville Homeschool team on Tuesday, then lost 62-43 at Oneida Baptist on Thursday. The Colonels play Garrard County in the opening game of the 45^th District Tournament on Monday.

 

Key 12^th Region Games of the Week:

 

Monday, February 18

45^th District (played at Garrard Middle School):

Garrard County vs. KSD, 8:00 p.m.

 

46^th District (played at Burgin):

Mercer County vs. Burgin, 6:30 p.m.

 

47^th District (played at Pulaski County):

Casey County vs. Somerset, 6:00 p.m.

Pulaski County vs. Rockcastle County, 7:30 p.m.

 

48^th District (played at McCreary Central):

Southwestern vs. McCreary Central, 7:00 p.m.

 

Tuesday, February 19

46^th District (played at Burgin):

East Jessamine vs. West Jessamine, 6:30 p.m.

 

Wednesday, February 20

45^th District (played at Garrard Middle School):

Lincoln County vs. Boyle County, 6:00 p.m.

Danville vs. KSD-Garrard winner, 7:30 p.m.

 

47^th District (played at Pulaski County):

District Championship, 7:00 p.m.

 

Thursday, February 21

46^th District (played at Burgin):

District Championship, 6:30 p.m.

 

48^th District (played at McCreary Central):

District Championship - Wayne County vs. Southwestern-McCreary Central winner, 7:00 p.m.

 

Friday, February 22

45^th District (played at Garrard Middle School):

District Championship, 7:45 p.m.