District tourneys: Dunbar girls win 4th straight to reach semis; Sayre boys top Scott Co.
Paul Laurence Dunbar’s girls basketball team had the unfortunate distinction of going 0-for-January this season, but the Bulldogs have rallied.
Monday night’s 52-43 win over 43rd District Tournament host Lexington Christian marked Dunbar’s fourth straight victory and advanced the Bulldogs to Tuesday’s district semifinals where they were to face top-seed Lafayette (17-12).
“I think losing a lot makes you a little bit harder. They’ve come together, and they got tired of losing,” second-year Dunbar coach Erik Daniels said. “It wasn’t big things that prevented us from winning. It was just small things. … They kind of fixed it once February came around and it started to click for us.”
A 43-35 loss at home on Jan. 3 to this same LCA team began an eight-game losing streak for Dunbar. In fact, they lost 10 of 12 at one stretch.
“I don’t even know. I lost track,” Dunbar freshman guard Layla Flynn said of the streak. “But I’m so happy that we won.”
Flynn led four Dunbar players in double figures with 15 points. Ellie Lavey scored 12, while Justice Biggerstaff and Eriyaune Daniels added 11 apiece. Dunbar forced 13 LCA turnovers and held the Eagles to 24 percent shooting. That’s been the key to Dunbar’s turnaround at the end of the season, Flynn said.
“Defense and everybody played together as a team more than the last time we played them,” she noted. “And we were hitting shots today.”
When Dunbar defeated LCA in last season’s 43rd District Tournament opener, it was the saving grace of a 4-24 debut season for Daniels. This year, Dunbar took a 14-15 record into its showdown with Lafayette on Tuesday.
“This year has been a relief,” said Daniels, a former star basketball player at the University of Kentucky. “It’s a great improvement for our girls.”
LCA (21-9) finished the season with a winning record for the first time since 2011 and won the 11th Region’s All “A” Classic tournament for the first time since 2018. Sophia Pridemore led the Eagles with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Koko Castle added a double-double with 11 points and 11 boards.
Second-half surge lifts Sayre over Scott County
After Sayre let a 10-point second quarter lead over Scott County slip to a four-point margin, Spartans coach Rob Goodman didn’t mince words during Monday’s halftime break at the boys 42nd District Tournament first-round game at Henry Clay.
“He said we were losing rebounds and that can’t happen. We were shooting 35 percent and they were shooting 60 percent and we were still winning. He knew we had it in us,” said senior forward Ian Reesor. “We just had to come out and execute. … We limited their opportunities and got us better ones. That’s just what it took to win.”
Sayre responded with a 12-2 run to start the third quarter and held on from there for a 55-46 win over the Cardinals. The victory advanced Sayre (20-9) to Tuesday’s district semifinals at Henry Clay where it was to face top-seeded Bryan Station (24-6).
Reesor led the Spartans with 16 points. Brock Coffman and Chase Parker added 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Ben Glenn led Scott County (8-22) with 14 points. Tristan Christopher added 13.
Sayre, this year’s 11th Region All “A” Classic champions, got swept by Bryan Station in the regular season by counts of 64-62 and 69-48. The two-point game came on Sayre’s home court. Reesor expressed confidence his team could compete with the Defenders.
“Today, I feel like we played awful and were still there,” Reesor said. “I feel like if we come back tomorrow and play good there’s no one that can beat us.”
Monday’s other games
43rd District boys — Lafayette 69, Tates Creek 61: The Generals (9-21) had four players score in double figures as they pulled away from the Commodores (4-24) in the third quarter to win their opening-round game at Lexington Christian.
Tyler Hunt scored 14 points, while Yashiro Hurst and KJ Jones added 13 each with Eli Thomas chipping in 11 for Lafayette. Dawson Garth led Tates Creek with 18 points. Stephen Franklin added 13 and Josh Pinkleton scored 11.
Lafayette’s 24-16 third-quarter run included going 11-for-11 at the free throw line with four different players taking turns knocking them down.
Lafayette was to face No. 2 Lexington Catholic (28-2) on Tuesday at LCA in the semifinals.
42nd District girls — Scott County 65, Sayre 25: Nmya Summers and Kaylen Perry scored 15 and 14 points, respectively, as the Cardinals (11-14) dominated the Spartans (6-25) from the outset.
Scott County led by as many as 47 points and established a mercy-rule margin with 2:50 left in the third quarter. Juliette Longbottom and Kathryn Kinder each scored eight points for Sayre.
42nd District tournaments
At Henry Clay
TUESDAY
Girls: Scott County (11-14) vs. Frederick Douglass (19-10), 6 p.m.
Boys: Sayre (21-9) vs. Bryan Station (22-6), 8 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
Girls: Henry Clay (20-9) vs. Bryan Station (15-12), 6 p.m.
Boys: Henry Clay (24-6) vs. Frederick Douglass (18-12), 8 p.m.
FRIDAY
▪ Girls championship, 6 p.m.
▪ Boys championship, 8 p.m.
43rd District tournaments
At Lexington Christian
TUESDAY
Girls: Dunbar (14-15) vs. Lafayette (17-12), 6 p.m.
Boys: Lafayette (9-21) vs. Lexington Catholic (28-2), 8 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
Girls: Lexington Catholic (7-22) vs. Tates Creek (16-13), 6 p.m.
Boys: Lexington Christian (14-14) vs. Paul Laurence Dunbar (11-19), 8 p.m.
FRIDAY
▪ Girls championship, 6 p.m.
▪ Boys championship, 8 p.m.
Coaches name 2024 All-11th Region girls basketball team
Coaches name 2024 All-11th Region boys basketball team
Kentucky girls high school basketball scores, brackets for every 2024 district tournament
Kentucky boys high school basketball scores, brackets for every 2024 district tournament
