The 16 region champions for girls’ basketball across the state of Kentucky have been decided, and now all the remaining teams are vying to take home the state title.
But out of those 16 schools, only one will get to experience that thrill and bring back a trophy for their school and community to enjoy for decades to come.
The St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA Girls Sweet Sixteen® Basketball Tournament begins this Wednesday at 12 p.m., E.T. at Northern Kentucky University, with Third Region champion Owensboro Catholic squaring off against 15th Region champion Johnson Central to kick off the event.
Here’s a quick synopsis of all the first-round matchups:
- Wed., March 7–Third Region champion Owensboro Catholic (26-7) vs. 15th Region champion Johnson Central (20-12)–12 p.m., E.T.
Johnson Central enters the 16-team field as just one of three teams with double-digits in losses, and the Lady Eagles opened up the season with just a 3-9 record after their first 12 games.
Central quickly bounced back in the second half of the season, and the 56-51 victory over Pikeville on Saturday night sent Johnson back to the state tournament after a three-year absence. However a team from the 15th Region has never won the state tournament.
Owensboro Catholic is in the state tournament for the fourth time since 2011. The Lady Aces advanced with a 55-45 victory over Muhlenberg County–who had just upset Edmonson County a couple of nights before.
The Lady Aces have a balanced attack where four players average double digits in scoring each night, and Owensboro Catholic is ranked 13th in the state in field-goal percentage at 46.4 percent.
- Wed., March 7–First Region champion Murray (32-2) vs. Region 12 champion Mercer County (32-3)–6:30 p.m.
Murray is making the long trip across the state from the Jackson Purchase with plenty of momentum as the Lady Tigers enter Highland Heights with a 24-game winning streak and a third consecutive Region One title.
But the Lady Tigers will meet defending state champion Mercer County in a game that will have a championship-like feel to it despite being just a first-round matchup.
After getting beat 83-48 by Sacred Heart on Jan. 27, the Titans ripped off 10 straight victories–including a convincing 60-42 win over Casey County in the 12th Region Championship Game. Mercer County is stout behind a senior class where every single player has signed to play college basketball, and the Titans are favored by many to hoist the trophy on Sunday afternoon once again.
- Wed., March 7–10th Region champion George Rogers Clark (26-7) vs. 13th Region champion Harlan County (28-2)–8 p.m.
George Rogers Clark pulled off what may turn out to be the upset of the year on Friday night as the Lady Cardinals knocking off heavyweight Campbell County by a score of 51-48 in the 10th Region semifinals. The Camels entered that game having not lost a single region game all season, and they were one of the main contenders to challenge Mercer County.
The Lady Cardinals will meet Harlan County, who enters BB&T Arena with an 18-game winning streak after a 78-51 victory over North Laurel in the region title game on Saturday night. The Lady Black Bears are led by Kaylea Gross–the senior ranked fifth in the state in scoring with 26 points per night.
- Wed., March 7–Fifth Region champion Elizabethtown (33-2) vs. Fourth Region champion Bowling Green (20-12)–1:30 p.m., E.T.
Bowling Green pulled off the shocking upset of South Warren on Saturday night, ending the game on a 22-1 run after trailing with just over five minutes to go as the Lady Purples punched their ticket to the state tournament for the fifth time since 2010. Senior Keely Morrow–who is ranked 14th in the state in scoring with 22.9 points per night–will look to guide the Lady Purples in against an Elizabethtown team that is participating in the state tournament for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
The Panthers moved on to the state tournament with a 30-point win over Bardstown in the region final, and Elizabethtown has ripped through its schedule this year–beating South Warren 70-43 back on Jan. 22.
Elizabethtown is also ranked second in the state in margin of victory, beating opponents by an average of 25.8 points. Sophomore Whitney Hay leads the charge for the Panthers with 19.5 points per outing.
- Thurs., March 8–Ninth Region champion Ryle (28-6) vs. Eighth Region champion Simon Kenton (20-10)–8 p.m., E.T.
Located in adjacent regions, Ryle and Simon Kenton have already played twice this season. Ryle took both meetings as the Lady Raiders won 71-54 on Nov. 30 before the Lady Pioneers made it much closer in the second meeting on Jan. 19–only losing 58-53.
Ryle is led by the two-headed monster of Maddie Scherr and Lauren Schwartz, who pour in 16.2 and 17.8 points per game, respectively, for the Lady Raiders.
- Thurs., March 8-Sixth Region champion Mercy (22-9) vs. 14th Region champion Knott County Central (24-9)–12 p.m., E.T.
Knott County is back to NKU for the second straight season while Mercy ended Butler’s two-year reign over the Sixth Region to return to the state for the first time since 2015.
However history is not on Knott County Central’s side as a 14th Region team has not won a first-round game since 2008, and that will prove to be a daunting task once again on Thursday going up against a Mercy team that has won 10 of its last 11.
- Thurs. March 8–Second Region champion Webster County (28-6) vs. 16th Region champion Boyd County (27-4)
After making it to the Second Region Championship Game three consecutive years and falling just short each time, Webster County was finally able to get over the hump on Saturday night.
The Lady Trojans held Christian County scoreless in the second quarter and punched their ticket to the state tournament for the first time since 1998 with a 45-32 victory over the Lady Colonels.
Webster County coach Brandon Fisher has put an emphasis on season all year long, and the Lady Trojans will need another solid defensive performance when they take on Boyd County on Thursday night.
The Lady Lions from the far eastern frontier that is the 64th District have the state’s ninth-leading scorer in junior point guard Savannah Wheeler, who averages 25 points per game.
Boyd County also has experience on their side as the Lady Lions are back to the state tournament for a second consecutive season while none of the Lady Trojans currently on roster have ever played in a state tournament game.
- Thurs., March 8–11th Region champion Scott County (31-2) vs. Seventh Region champion Louisville DuPont Manual (21-8)
It’s not often that you a Lexington or Louisville team does not get past the first round, but that will be the case whether the Lady Cardinals or Lady Crimsons advance to the quarterfinals round.
Scott County is back in the state tournament for just the second time in school history, and the Lady Cardinals lost just two games this season: a 20-point loss to South Warren and a 37-point loss to a team from Ohio.
The Lady Cardinals played Manual once this season, beating the Lady Crimsons by a score of 76-53 back on Jan. 11. However the Lady Crimsons enter NKU with momentum–winners of nine straight games, including a 55-52 win over heavily-favored Sacred Heart in the Seventh Region Championship Game.
