11th Region Week 14 Review and Tournament Final Preview

11th Region Week 14 Review and Tournament Final Preview

 

REGIONAL TOURNAMENT AT VARIOUS SITES AND EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

 

FIRST ROUND

Madison Central def. Western Hills, 87-51 at Madison Central

Frederick Douglass def. Lexington Christian, 67-50 at Frederick Douglass

Great Crossing def. Scott County, 53-42, at Great Crossing 

Lexington Catholic def. Madison Southern, 69-50, at Lexington Catholic

 

SEMIFINALS AT EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

Frederick Douglass def. Madison Central, 74-55 

Lexington Catholic def. Great Crossing, 48-42 

 

HIGHLIGHTS: Madison Central eliminated Western Hills with 31 points from Jaylen Davis, 24 points from Jayden West and 18 points and 16 rebounds from Robby Todd. Melo Boone paced Frederick Douglass with 23 points and 11 rebounds against Lexington Christian. Great Crossing defeated Scott County behind Vince Dawson's 19 points and Malachi Moreno's 12 points and 12 rebounds. Reece Potter had 26 points and eight rebounds in Lexington Catholic's defeat of Madison Southern. Frederick Douglass beat Madison Central for the second time this season in the semifinals, winning by 19 after winning by just two in the regular season meeting. The Broncos have won 27 straight games. In the other semi, LexCath beat Great Crossing for the second time this season, clearly showing that it was the better team. The Knights have won 13 straight games. 

 

MONDAY FINAL AT EKU

 

Frederick Douglass (30-2) vs. Lexington Catholic (32-2), 7 pm

 

OUTLOOK: The previously upset-prone Knights made it out of the early round unscathed. The region's top-ranked team had a recent history of surprising regional ousters, losing early each of the past two years to the eventual tournament champion. As a reward for their advancement, the Knights are in the final for the first time since 2020. A bigger payoff would be a crown. LexCath's last regional title was in 2015.

 

The Broncos, ranked No. 3 in the region, haven't lost a game since Dec. 10 vs. Great Crossing. Their only other loss was to LexCath in the season opener. That was more than three months ago. LexCath also lost its season opener, to North Laurel. The Knights are 32-1 since then. Their only other loss was to Mason County on Jan. 15. Together, the Broncos and Knights have combined to go 107 consecutive days without a loss.

 

LexCath won the first meeting 71-59 with 21 points and 11 rebounds from Reece Potter, who seems certain to do some damage Monday. Potter averages 18.1 ppg and 8.8 rpg. Hudson Sparks added 16 points and 10 rebounds the first meeting. He averages 12.6 ppg. The Knights outshot the Broncos from the floor, 56 percent to 36 percent, and won the rebounding battle 34-24. Kai Simpson (26) and Melo Boone (22) combined for 48 points the first go-around. The rest of the team scored 11. Simpson averages 16.6 ppg, Boone 16.1 ppg. They also are 1-2 in rebounding, averaging around 5 and a half per game. 

 

Both teams would love to get some help for the Big Twos. LexCath's Tyler Doyle (10.3 ppg) and John Reinhart (8.9 ppg) both have had some big games this season. Same for Aveion Chenualt (13.2 ppg) and Tylor Webb (11.7 ppg) for the Broncos.

 

LexCath is the better shooting team:

 

Shooting percentages for LexCath on the season: 50.6% FG, 38.7%, 3FG,72.8% FT.

 

Shooting percentages for hot Frederick Douglass: 48.7% FG, 31.9% 3FG, 64.7% FT.

 

LexCath also has the best player on the floor in the 7-foot Potter, the Miami University recruit. As such, the Knights are favored. But Frederick Douglass, which opened its doors in 2017, has certainly learned something about the Knights since that Nov. 30 season-opening loss. Plus, this. The Broncos were in the final last season, losing to Henry Clay by just five. In fact, they are in their third straight final. They shouldn't be too wide-eyed after those experiences and with a game this season under their belts vs. the Knights. There's a chance we see the best version of the Broncos as they seek their first-ever region title. There's also a chance that it won't matter if the more battle-tested Knights play as well as they are capable. 

 

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