11th Region Week 13 Review and Tournament Preview

 

Here are the key scores from the recently completed week of basketball.

 

41st District Tournament final: Great Crossing def. Western Hills, 78-73

42nd District Tournament final: Frederick Douglass def. Scott County, 69-39

43rd District Tournament final: Lexington Catholic def. Lexington Christian, 61-39

44th District Tournament final: Madison Central def. Madison Southern, 57-47

 

All eight teams qualified for the regional tournament.

 

HIGHLIGHTS: Central overcame shooting woes (31.6% FG, 17.4% 3FG) and escaped Southern in a battle of the Madisons in the 44th District with 27 points and 13 rebounds from Jaylen Davis. Madison Central won the district for the fifth time in six years. Robby Todd added a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds and Jayden West had 13 points and eight rebounds for the Indians. Mad Central has won seven of its last nine games and is 13-8 since the 5-6 start. The Indians last won the region in 2021.

 

NOTEWORTHY: Not a lot of competitive championship games with some very hot teams involved, although Western Hills pushed repeat champion Great Crossing in the 41st District. Great Crossing has won 14 of its last 16 games. In the 43rd, Lexington Catholic won the district for the second year in a row. The Knights are riding an 11-game winning streak and did not lose to a regional team this season. Frederick Douglass won the 42nd for the fourth straight year while extending its winning streak to 25 games. The Broncos haven't lost since Dec. 10 vs. Great Crossing. Their only other loss was to LexCath in the season opener.

 

REGIONAL TOURNAMENT AT VARIOUS SITES AND EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

 

TUESDAY FIRST ROUND AT VARIOUS SITES

Western Hills (17-11) at Madison Central (18-14), 7 pm

Lexington Christian (23-9) at Frederick Douglass (28-2), 7 pm

Scott County (11-21) at Great Crossing (27-5), 7 pm

Madison Southern (19-13) at Lexington Catholic (30-2), 7 pm

 

SATURDAY SEMIFINALS AT EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

Western Hills-Madison Central winner vs. Lexington Christian-Frederick Douglass winner, 1 pm

Scott County-Great Crossing winner vs. Madison Southern-Lexington Catholic winner, 3 pm

 

MARCH 6 FINAL 7 PM AT EKU

 

OUTLOOK: There will be a new champion as Henry Clay didn't make it back to the tournament. Lexington Catholic is favored but the upset-prone Knights have a recent history of being on the receiving end of first-round knockouts, losing early each of the last two years to the eventual tournament champion. The last time the Knights made it to the final in 2020, they finished the season 31-3 but were upset by 19-16 Scott County. LexCath's last regional crown came in . . . 2015. If a similar early-round fate befalls the Knights once again and the regional drought continues, Great Crossing could possibly benefit while sitting on the other side of the bottom half of the bracket.

 

In the top half, everybody has a lot to prove. Mad Central has been on a mission while circling the wagons in the aftermath of a major mid-season lineup change. Western Hills, 13-3 since a dreadful 4-8 start, has an opportunity to show its mettle after losing six of its 11 games by margins of 5, 4, 6, 3, 4 and 6. Lexington Christian is 0-3 vs. LexCath this season and 12-1 vs. everybody else in the region, 23-6 overall. That's bad news for Frederick Douglass which cannot claim Lexington Christian as a victim this season because the Broncos and Eagles did not meet. The Broncos would love to show that even though they aren't as battle-tested as LexCath and Great Crossing doesn't mean they can't wind up in the final against one of them in a revenge match, and win. Favorite: Lexington Catholic. Sleeper: Frederick Douglass. Darkhorse: Madison Central.

 

FINAL REGULAR SEASON REGIONAL RANKINGS (unchanged):

 

1. Lexington Catholic

 

2. Great Crossing

 

3. Frederick Douglass

 

4. Lexington Christian

 

5. Madison Central

 

6. Madison Southern

 

7. Sayre

 

8. Henry Clay

 

9. Western Hills

 

10. Scott County

 

11. Paul Laurence Dunbar

 

12. Tates Creek

 

13. Bryan Station

 

14. Lafayette

 

15. Franklin County

 

16. Frankfort

 

17. Model

 

18. Frankfort Christian

 

19. Berea

Nice report!  That Regional looks like a big slug-fest!! Hard to pick a winner, but I'll guess Douglas in a thriller.