Valley High School head coach DeJuan Wheat (C) talks with his team during a time out against Doss High School during the first half of play at Valley High School in Louisville, Kentucky. January 3, 2017

Cameron Wilson’s four free throws in the final 1:02 of overtime were the difference as the host Valley High School boys basketball team beat Central 65-61 in overtime on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Republic Bank Louisville Invitational Tournament.

Valley (12-3), which hasn’t reached the final of the LIT since winning the title in 1989, will face Trinity in Saturday’s 11:30 a.m. semifinal.

“It’s great for the school,” first-year Vikings coach DeJuan Wheat said. “I hope the alumni from Valley will come on board and root this team on. … (Trinity) is a big, big challenge. When I took this job I told the guys, ‘I’m trying to beat the best.’ Trinity’s one of the best in the state, so we have a big obstacle.”

Dominique Knight’s 3-point play gave Central (9-7) a 55-53 lead with 49.6 seconds left in regulation, but Eric George’s basket tied it at 55 with 27 seconds left. Devin Firman’s off-balance 3-point try at the buzzer missed, leading to overtime.

The overtime featured three ties, the last coming on George’s basket that made it 61-61 with 1:18 left. After a turnover, Firman was whistled for a technical foul after shoving a Valley player with 1:02 left. Wilson sank both free throws for a 63-61 lead.

Rajon Rondo watches from Central bench https://t.co/qkhlNO3G1M

—
Jason Frakes (@kyhighs) January 14, 2017

Valley’s Xavier Johnson missed two free throws with 21.9 seconds left, giving Central a final chance. Firman drove the lane and missed, and Wilson sank two free throws with 9.5 seconds left to seal it.

Curt Lewis led the Vikings with 28 points, and George added 17 points and nine rebounds.

Firman (25 points) and Knight (19 points) paced Central. Chicago Bulls guard Rajon Rondo – a longtime friend of Central coach Doug Bibby – watched the game from the Yellowjackets’ bench.

Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.

VALLEY 65, CENTRAL 61, OT

CENTRAL (9-7) – Korey Johnson 4p; Devin Firman 25p, 6r, 4s; Derron Douglas 0p, 8r, 3a; Andy Crittenden 5p; Dominique Knight 19p, 6r; Antwan Thompson 2p; Josh Watkins 6p.

VALLEY (12-3) – Cameron Wilson 7p; Raekwon Evans 7p, 11r, 3a; Curt Lewis 28p, 7r; Xavier Johnson 6p; Eric George 17p, 10r.

It was a special night for Lindsey Duvall, her friends and her family, but some of her teammates didn’t even realize how special it was.

Bullitt East’s Lindsey Duvall (12), shoots over the defense of Male’s Kyra Hogan (32), during the championship game of The Queen of The Commonwealth tournament, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016 in Mt. Washington KY. (Timothy D. Easley/Special to the C-J)

On a running layup in the lane during the second half of Bullitt East’s 66-31 win over Central, Duvall became the Chargers all-time leading scorer, passing former Louisville Cardinals star Alison Bass with 2,567 points. Duvall needed 21 points coming the game to break the record, and once she broke it, Chargers coach Chris Stallings called a time out to huddle the team together and congratulate Duvall.

“It was pretty neat,” Stallings said of the moment. “We called time out, took her out and huddled up and congratulated her. We had kids on our bench that didn’t know what I was congratulating her for, that’s kind of how with Lindsey, it is a team type thing. Lindsey knew and a couple of the kids knew but we came out of the huddle and sat down and I had to explain to some of them for what we were congratulating her for. It was nice for our team and teammates and for the kids she’s played with all her life. I think it meant as much to them as it did to her too.”

The achievement is more incredible considering many were unsure what Duvall’s future would be back in November 2015, when doctors discovered a tumor near the bottom of her left knee. Duvall was expected to miss her entire junior season but she made a remarkable recovery from surgery and treatment and played seven games towards the end of the season.

This year, Duvall’s found her freshman and sophomore form that made her such a highly-sought recruit, and the Louisville commit is currently seventh in the state, averaging 24.5 points per game.

“Like I told her and the kids, our school has had a lot of good players, and there’s a lot of good players on that scoring list, both boys and girls,” Stallings said. “It’s been a pleasure coaching her. She hasn’t run a lot of set plays for her and we just play and there hasn’t been any jealousy or anything like that. She doesn’t worry, doesn’t get hung up in all that so she’s just been a real pleasure to coach and she’s improved her game each year. To see her reach her potential and get to this point is nice, especially after last year, when we weren’t for sure that she would be able to get back to the level she is right now. I think that’s really good to see as well. For the things she’s overcome, that’s rewarding as a coach.”

TRIMBLE CO. WINS EIGHTH REGION ALL “A” REGIONAL

Trimble County got its revenge over Walton-Verona on Friday with a defensive 31-27 win in the Eighth Region All “A” final.

Despite making the Kentucky Sweet 16 in 2016, the Raiders were knocked out of the All “A” Classic last season by Walton-Verona. This time, the Raiders ensured they’d be heading to Frankfort.

The win was even more impressive as Raiders star guard Kaylee Clifford was hampered all game with an ankle injury, but toughed it out and still scored five points.

“Going into the tournament, we knew we had a target on our back. Our kids fought hard to overcome every obstacle, including a significant ankle injury to our tournament MVP, Kaylee Clifford. Our kids absolutely played with the heard of champions and as a result, they are the eighth region class A champions. I am so very proud and blessed to coach them and thank God for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the special team.”

Shelbe Black led the Raiders with 11 points, while Gracie Perry had a game-high 15 points for the Bearcats.

The Raiders play their first-round game in the All “A” Classic state tournament on Jan. 25 against the Sixth Region winner.

Here are scores and stats from boys and girls basketball games across Louisville and the rest of the Commonwealth on Jan. 13, 2017.

SCORES

GIRLS

BULLITT EAST 66,  CENTRAL 31

BULLITT EAST (14-4)

Caroline Scott 3p; Lauren Masden 5p; Amber Higdon 4p; Lindsey Duvall 21p; Cori Etherton 2p; Lexi Taylor 6p; Alyssa Peak 2p; Kirstie Henn 6p; Kathleen Scott 7p; Emma Ralph 5p; Rienna Hays 5p.

CENTRAL (7-6)

Thelisia Guin 4p; Shamaria Stikes 4p; Precious Hereford 8p; DeAsia Yates 2p; Darian Neal 8p; Stephanie Cole 5p.

TRIMBLE CO. 31, WALTON-VERONA 27

TRIMBLE CO. (11-3)

Shelbe Black 11p; Bailey Duke 6p; Kaylee Clifford 5p; Cheyenne Riddle 5p; Abby Ponder 2p; Karli Tilley 2p

WALTON-VERONA (8-9)

Gracie Perry 15p; Alyson Poore 4p; Rachel Lehkamp 4p; Olivia Hardin 3p; Aubrielle Anderson 1p

SOUTHERN 79, WHITEFIELD 72

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Abigail Ritter scored a season-high 34 points but the Wildcats(5-9) fell to the host Trojans (5-13). The Trojans built a ten-point lead in the fourth quarter behind Nia Sheckles and DaVionna Sloan, who each scored 29 point. Whitefield battled back to take a two-point lead late, but Southern was able to regain the advantage and close it out from the charity stripe.

WHITEFIELD (5-9)

Jaya McClure 9p; Lauren Harris 13p; Abigail Ritter 34p; Bekah Dwyer 4p; Ashley Pike 2p; Juliana Yates 9p; Ellie Shipp 1p.

SOUTHERN (5-13)

DaVionna Sloan 29p; Nia Sheckles 29p; Krystal Jackson 16p; Azari Prescod 2p; Marsharea Henderson 3p.

COLLINS 43, SHELBY CO. 38

SHELBYVILLE, Ky. – The Titans (12-7) held off a late rally by the Rockets (6-10) to earn a second consecutive win. Olivia Federle scored 14 points to lead the Titans, who used a 17-10 third quarter to break the game open. Shelby Co. made a run to cut the deficit to five in the fourth quarter, but Collins shot 13-of-19 from the free-throw line to thwart the comeback.

COLLINS (12-7)

Hannah Renfro 8p; Olivia Federle 14p; Carson Murray 2p; Haylee Renfro 3p; Mary-Clare Megibben 2p; Jeian Hayes 5p; Trinity Warfield 9p.

SHELBY CO. (6-10)

Zephaniah Gray 14p; Zoey Holland 7p; Asia Hardy 1p; Alyssa Roberts 1p; Amie Conley 9p; Kaitlyn Disch 5p; Jenna Jones 1p.

FERN CREEK 74, WESTERN 27

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Tigers’ Alexis Smith had an outstanding game with 30 points, which included five 3-pointers and 10 steals to overtake the Warriors (5-9), 74-27. Nsasa Makanda chipped in 13 points, along with Tianna Austin, who had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Warriors’ Destany Love tallied 18 points.

WESTERN (5-9)

Destany Love 18p; Alyssa Hayes 4p; Melyia Lewis 5p.

FERN CREEK (9-8)

Nsasa Makanda 13p, 1r, 7s; Maelyn Ridener 13p, 2r, 2s; Lauren Smith 4p; Aliyah Stallard 2p, 3r, 4s; Alexis Smith 30p, 4r, 10s; Tianna Austin 12p, 10r, 2s.

DOSS 68,  ATHERTON 54

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Jamari Tillman and Kameshia Moxley combined to score 50 points as the Dragons (7-7) knocked off the Rebels. Tillman and Moxley each scored 25 points in the win. Hailey Stone led the Rebels (9-11) with 21 points in a losing effort.  

ATHERTON (9-11)

Lauren Burks 2p; Sarah Overly 13p; Taeci White 8p; Lucy Washington 4p; Kaylynn Thompson 6p; Hailey Stone 21p.

DOSS (7-7)

Shacora Paige 7p; Jamari Tillman 25p; Kameshia Moxley 25p; Dinah Mukagaju 2p; Khadaizah Hellman 1p; Kayla Tindall 8p.

ASSUMPTION 65, BROWN 22

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Rockets (8-8) bruised the Bears (7-6). The Rockets were led by Samantha Babey, who finished the game with 16 points and led all scorers. Grace Bringard and Reese Sexton each scored eight points as well for the Rockets. Madison Cockraft led the Bears with seven points.

ASSUMPTION (8-8)

McKenna Schelb 1p; Reese Sexton 8p; Abby McQueary 6p; Samantha Babey 16p; Madalynn Nalley 2p; Jenna Calhoun 6p; Maggie Metzger 4p; Jacqueline Raque 5p; Taylor Allen 6p; Payton Cronen 3p; Grace Bringard 8p.

BROWN (7-6)

Sydney Johnson 5p; Madison Cockraft 7p; Alexandria Henderson 1p; Fatima Abdar-Rahman 2p; Hanna Covus 4p; Sydney Houreal 3p.

OLDHAM COUNTY 57, NORTH OLDHAM 31

GOSHEN, Ky, –  Sisters Sophia and Alexis Head were too much to handle, as they lead the Colonels (8-7) over rival Mustangs (9-8) in a lopsided victory, 57-31. Head scored 18 points while Head added 11. Ally Krzeniowski scored six points and Aliyah chipped in eight points for the Colonels. The Mustangs were led by Caitlyn Chen who scored 15 points.

OLDHAM COUNTY (8-7)

Madison Clark 4p; Lakynn. Goldsmith 2p; Jordon Simpson 4p; Sophia Head 11p; Alexis Head 18p; Kylee Nuernberger 4p; Aliyah Swanson 8p; Ally Korzeniowski 6p.

NORTH OLDHAM (9-8)

Hannah Cleveland 1p; Anne Thomas-Proctor 10p; Sophie Hale 1p; Caitlyn Chen 15p.

CAL 74, HOLY CROSS 37

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Summer Conti stepped up tonight for the Centurions. She was 5 of 6 on 3-pointers and tallied 22 points, seven assists and five steals to help the Centurions (11-5) overtake the Cougars (6-11), 74-37. Shelby Calhoun had a triple-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists also for the Centurions. The Cougars’ Madison Turner scored 10 points.

CAL (11-5)

Summer Conti 22p, 4r, 7a, 5s, 1b; Emma Frank 4p, 7r, 1s; Shelby Calhoun 19p, 12r, 10a, 5s, 2b; Sarah McDonald 10p, 6r, 1s, 1b; Mia Beam 12p, 2r, 7a, 1s, 1b; Abigail Embry 3p; Riley Sexton 2p, 1r; Delany Gardner 2p, 1b.

HOLY CROSS (6-11)

Adyson Medley 2p; Ally Klein 2p; Olivia Murphy 2p; Katie Hickey 2p; Kailey Reed 7p; Lauren Schraut 5p; Halle Snyder 7p; Madison Turner 10p.

EASTERN 76, PRP 32

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Eagles (11-5) soared in the second quarter to defeat the Panthers (8-7). The Eagles led by the steady hand of Bri Mishler broke the game open in the second quarter. Mishler finished the contest with nine points. Natalie Collins and Kiara Pearl finished the game with 16 points and 12 points respectively.

EASTERN (11-5)

Bri Mishler 9p; Tedi Nunn 7p; Bre Anthony 10p; Mikayla Kinnard 12p; Peyton Fletcher 4p; Natalie Collins 16p; Kiara Pearl 12p; Destiny Houseal 2p; Devin Beach 4p.

PRP (8-7)

Brianan Burke 2p; Makenna Combs 2p; Reaunna Halsell 6p; Amani Saunders 6p; Mariah Jones 1p; Perri Mitchell 9p; Dayja Evans 6p.

Scores from around the state: 

Allen Central 62, Riverside Christian 49

Ballard Memorial 55, Community Christian (Paducah) 23

Bardstown 63, Thomas Nelson 28

Belfry 47, Pike Co. Central 43

Bowling Green 61, Warren Central 36

Boyd Co. 73, Fairview 21

Breckinridge Co. 71, Bullitt Central 45

Bullitt East 66, Lou. Central 31

Caldwell Co. 67, Hopkins Co. Central 60, OT

Carlisle Co. 55, Fulton Co. 43

Central Hardin 65, Fort Knox 13

Collins 43, Shelby Co. 38

Corbin 51, Whitley Co. 47

Danville 70, Garrard Co. 56

East Carter 57, Russell 47

Edmonson Co. 72, Grayson Co. 64, OT

Elizabethtown 79, Taylor Co. 20

Eminence 65, Frederick Fraize 51

Estill Co. 43, Powell Co. 34

Franklin Co. 63, Woodford Co. 38

Franklin-Simpson 43, Russellville 41

George Rogers Clark 77, Montgomery Co. 28

Glasgow 53, Allen Co.-Scottsville 44

Graves Co. 42, Marshall Co. 38

Greenup Co. 64, Lawrence Co. 49

Greenwood 75, Warren East 40

Henderson Co. 66, Union Co. 46

Hickman Co. 45, Fulton City 40

Hopkinsville 60, Christian Co. 48

John Hardin 37, North Hardin 23

LaRue Co. 70, Hart Co. 44

Lex. Sayre 63, Lou. Ky. Country Day 28

Lincoln Co. 59, Boyle Co. 51

Logan Co. 73, Todd Co. Central 56

Lou. Assumption 65, Lou. Brown 22

Lou. Christian Academy 74, Lou. Holy Cross 37

Lou. Doss 68, Lou. Atherton 54

Lou. Fern Creek 74, Lou. Western 27

Lou. Southern 79, Whitefield Academy 72

Lynn Camp 58, Robertson County 32

Lyon Co. 39, Livingston Central 28

Madison Central 51, Model 40

Madison Southern 72, Berea 49

Madisonville-North Hopkins 56, Dawson Springs 28

Marion Co. 49, Campbellsville 35

McCracken County 49, Paducah Tilghman 44

Mercer Co. 76, West Jessamine 31

Metcalfe Co. 68, Adair Co. 44

Monroe Co. 48, Barren Co. 20

Murray 65, Calloway Co. 32

Nelson Co. 71, Bethlehem 39

North Laurel 81, Jackson Co. 43

Oldham Co. 57, North Oldham 31

Owensboro Catholic 68, Apollo 58

Paintsville 47, Johnson Central 34

Rockcastle Co. 58, Casey Co. 55

Russell Co. 56, Clinton Co. 18

Scott 44, Campbell Co. 39

Shelby Valley 57, East Ridge 30

Sheldon Clark 59, Magoffin Co. 44

Somerset 71, McCreary Central 42

South Floyd 68, Betsy Layne 48

South Laurel 76, Knox Central 36

South Oldham 67, Lou. Waggener 52

South Warren 50, Muhlenberg County 47

Southwestern 54, Pulaski Co. 53

Spencer Co. 63, Henry Co. 40

University Heights 50, Fort Campbell 20

Wayne Co. 63, Cumberland Co. 24

Western Hills 65, Frankfort 47

9th Region All ‘‘A’’ Classic

Beechwood 50, Newport Central Catholic 42

Cov. Holy Cross 59, St. Henry 47

BOYS

SOUTH OLDHAM 65, SIMON KENTON 62

CRESTWOOD, Ky. – The Dragons (14-3) snapped a three-game losing streak, outlasting the Pioneers (9-6) in a close matchup, 65-62. Jo Giffin, who led the Dragons with 16 points, hit two late three-pointers in the final minutes, sealing the victory. Devin Young was second on the team with 15 points and Dyllon Hoover added 12 points for the Dragons. Caleb Sergent and Zach Kelch both finished with 16 points for the Pioneers.

SIMON KENTON (9-6)

Caleb Sergent 16p; Chaz Kitchens 14p; Conner Perry 1p; Zach Kelch 16p; JC Hawkins 13p; Kelly Neice 2p;

SOUTH OLDHAM (14-3)

Jo Griffin 16p; Devin Young 15p; Peyton Hicks 2p; Dyllon Hoover 12p; Luke Morrison 6p; Aaron Franklin 11p; DAvid Beyerle 3p.

COLLINS 63, SHELBY CO. 61, OT

SHELBYVILLE, Ky. – Charlie Cochran scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Collins (14-3) past Shelby Co. (3-11) in overtime. Jordan Armstrong scored 16 points to lead the charge for the Rockets. The game featured seven ties and eight lead changes. Despite their struggles this season, the Rockets battled with the Titans and forced the game into overtime, where the Titans eventually prevailed.

COLLINS (14-3)

Eric Mowder 6p; Dayvion McKnight 11p, 8a; Charlie Cochran 21p, 9r; Nick Eades 2p, 5r; Dominique Turner 11p, 8r; Marcellus Vail 6p; Sam Kiser 3p; Kyle Perdue 3p.

SHELBY CO. (3-11)

TJ Robinson 7p, 3r, 3a; Jordan Armstrong 16p, 4r; KeShawn Catlett 3p; Kyion Stone 4p; Richland Beckley 4p; Tyler Drane 12p, 7r; Dinelle Stainaker 15p, 8r.

Here are scores from around the state: 

Adair Co. 88, Metcalfe Co. 48

Apollo 63, Owensboro Catholic 58

Ashland Blazer 55, Mason Co. 53

Ballard Memorial 82, Community Christian (Paducah) 42

Bardstown 73, Thomas Nelson 42

Barren Co. 50, Monroe Co. 49

Bath Co. 78, Fleming Co. 63

Belfry 61, Phelps 59

Bellevue 65, Silver Grove 39

Bethlehem 52, Nelson Co. 46, OT

Boone Co. 70, St. Henry 63

Bowling Green 70, Warren Central 48

Boyd Co. 82, Fairview 67

Burgin 56, Lou. Portland Christian 54

Butler Co. 68, McLean Co. 52

Caldwell Co. 82, Hopkins Co. Central 80, OT

Calloway Co. 50, Murray 39

Campbell Co. 62, Conner 60

Carlisle Co. 65, Fulton Co. 60

Caverna 68, Green Co. 57

Central Hardin 79, Fort Knox 41

Clinton Co. 51, Russell Co. 39

Collins 63, Shelby Co. 61

Corbin 69, Whitley Co. 63

Crittenden Co. 48, Trigg Co. 42

Danville 63, Garrard Co. 58

Daviess Co. 51, Ohio Co. 47

Dixie Heights 55, Scott 50

East Carter 58, Morgan Co. 57

Edmonson Co. 51, Grayson Co. 49

Elizabethtown 69, Meade Co. 66

Franklin Co. 48, Woodford Co. 45

George Rogers Clark 56, Montgomery Co. 44

Graves Co. 69, Marshall Co. 38

Greenup Co. 103, Lewis Co. 55

Greenwood 78, Warren East 50

Harrison Co. 63, Bourbon Co. 55

Henderson Co. 85, Union Co. 63

Hopkinsville 74, Madison Central 66, OT

Jenkins 74, Rose Hill Christian 73, OT

Johnson Central 83, Paintsville 68

Knox Central 71, Bell Co. 26

LaRue Co. 72, Hart Co. 48

Letcher County Central 71, June Buchanan 48

Lex. Christian 78, Lex. Lafayette 49

Lincoln Co. 52, Boyle Co. 49, 3OT

Livingston Central 50, Lyon Co. 45

Madison Southern 79, Berea 43

Madisonville-North Hopkins 75, Dawson Springs 48

Marion Co. 78, Campbellsville 56

Mayfield 74, Webster Co. 61

Mercer Co. 95, Wayne Co. 90

Newport 65, Augusta 58

North Laurel 99, Jackson Co. 66

Oldham Co. 76, North Oldham 63

Pendleton Co. 95, Grant Co. 70

Pike Co. Central 73, Prestonsburg 63

Powell Co. 69, Estill Co. 65

Rockcastle Co. 69, Casey Co. 66

Shelby Valley 63, East Ridge 53

Somerset 74, Model 58

South Floyd 78, Betsy Layne 35

University Heights 78, Fort Campbell 41

Villa Madonna 69, Heritage Christian Academy 31

14th Region All ‘‘A’’ Classic

Cordia 76, Buckhorn 66

Wolfe Co. 61, Breathitt Co. 57

Bluegrass Classic

Cooper 65, Holmes 35

Cov. Catholic 69, Newport Central Catholic 41

Dixie Heights 55, Scott 50

Louisville Invitational Tournament

Lou. Ballard 72, Bullitt East 61

Lou. Fern Creek 57, Lou. Eastern 44

Lou. Trinity 68, Lou. Waggener 53

Lou. Valley 65, Lou. Central 61, OT

It will be Fern Creek and Trinity in the championship game of the Republic Bank Boys Louisville Invitational Tournament.

Fern Creek guard Tony Rogers beats Trinity guard Brendan King to the basket. 18 December 2016

Fern Creek beat Ballard 46-31 and Trinity beat host Valley 55-46 in Saturday morning’s semifinals. The two tournament finalists will tip off at 8 p.m. tonight at Valley having split a couple of games already this season.

For the Tigers (17-2), this marks their first LIT championship game since 2004.

Ballard led for the game’s first 12 minutes, thanks in large part to Fern Creek committing 11 turnovers early. However, once the Tigers took better care of the ball they took over the game. A 13-0 run made it 28-19 Fern Creek with two minutes left in the first half.

Fern Creek led 30-24 at halftime and on its first possession of the second half, getting two offensive rebounds that led to an Anthony Wales 3-pointer with 7:10 left in the period.

For the next seven minutes, Ballard’s Jamil Wilson and Tyron Duncan stood at opposite sides of the court just past the halfcourt line, deliberately taking the air out of the ball. Occasionally, they passed the ball to each other as the fans and even some players looked on quizzically. Eventually, Chance Moore and his fellow Tigers started shuffling their feet on the court just to remain active.

The Bruins (12-4), the two-time defending LIT champions who had advanced to the last four tournament finals, ended up committing a turnover with less than two seconds left in the period to keep it a nine-point game.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Fern Creek beats Trinity on Dec. 10

PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Trinity beats Fern Creek in King of the Bluegrass rematch

Ballard coach Chris Renner said he wanted to keep his team within single digits of the Tigers, the tourney’s top seed. Considering the Bruins lost leading scorer and rebounder Clivonte Patterson to an ankle sprain earlier in the tournament and Wilson isn’t fully recovered from his own sprain, Renner felt his team’s best chance of winning would be to essentially reduce the game to three quarters.

“We tried to run with them the last time we had our full personnel and arsenal, and it didn’t work,” said Renner, referring to the Tigers’ 87-82 win in last month’s King of the Bluegrass. “So we rolled the dice today.”

The Tigers got a turnover off Ballard’s first possession of the fourth quarter, leading to two free throws by A.J. Thomas to make it 35-24. Fern Creek never led by fewer than nine the rest of the way.

Fern Creek coach James Schooler said he understood what Renner was trying to accomplish.

“In this business, night after night, you got to find whatever to try to tick that nerve to get them going,” he said.

Moore led the Tigers with 13 points, five rebounds and four assists. Clint Wickliffe added 12 points and seven rebounds in the victory. Tyron Duncan led Ballard with 11 points.

The 31 points marked a low for Ballard under Renner, who began coaching the Bruins in the 1998-99 season. The previous low under him was a 45-42 loss to Covington Holmes on Dec. 20, 2008.

Trinity downs host Valley

Jay Scrubb came off the bench to score 24 points and lead Trinity back to the championship for the second consecutive year.

The Vikings led 20-14 late in the first half before Trinity closed out the half on an 8-0 run. Scrubb, a 6-4 junior, scored six of those points and finished making 10-of-13 shots.

The Shamrocks, the No. 3 team in The Courier-Journal’s Litkenhous Ratings, last won the LIT in 2013.

“I was happy that we were able to make plays down the stretch and pull it out,” Trinity coach Mike Szabo said. “When it’s tournament time, it’s win and advance, and we’re excited about the challenge again tonight.”

Fern CreekÕs Anthony Wales (5) shoots the ball during the championship game of the Louisville Invitational Tournament between the Fern Creek Tigers and the Trinity Shamrocks.

A season already full of minor milestones hit a major one Saturday night for the Fern Creek High School boys basketball team.

Playing in the championship game of the Republic Bank Louisville Invitational Tournament for just the second time in program history, the Tigers captured their first title by knocking off Trinity 65-58 in overtime at Valley.

“It means a lot,” Tigers coach James Schooler. “It’s a major tournament against the best team in the state of Kentucky. It’s good for the city of Louisville.”

Anthony Wales scored 16 points and Tony Rogers added 11 as Fern Creek (18-2) – No. 6 in the state in The Courier-Journal’s Litkenhous Ratings – beat No. 3 Trinity (18-2) for the second time in three meetings this season.

Senior Chance Moore (9 points) earned L.J. “Butch” Charmoli MVP honors for the tournament, but it was a low-scoring junior guard who was the hero for the Tigers on Saturday night.

Entering the game averaging 2.5 points per game, A.J. Thomas finished with 10 points, two assists and two steals. His layup with 1 second left tied the score at 55 and forced overtime.

“It was shocking,” said Thomas, who may not have been in the game had Ahmad Price not fouled out at the 2:28 mark of the fourth quarter. “I did it for my team and my coaches and the whole community of Fern Creek.”

Schooler said he wasn’t surprised to see Thomas come up big.

“It’s proof that there’s no ‘I’ in team,” Schooler said. “At any given moment somebody is going to step up and make a big play. No matter if you’re the last man on the bench or the first man, we preach to you the same: Be ready for your moment. …

“I trust my kids. They all put in the same amount of work from June until now.”

David Johnson scored 16 points and Jay Scrubb added 12 to lead Trinity.

The Shamrocks led 50-43 after a pair of Johnson free throws with 4:33 left in regulation before Fern Creek began chipping away.

“We didn’t have great possessions down the stretch, and that cost us,” Trinity coach Mike Szabo said. “I’m proud of our guys. I thought we fought hard tonight. … They just had better possessions in overtime. They played better than we did tonight.”

Thomas hit a pair of free throws to pull the Tigers within 53-51 with 2:20 left. Trinity went into delay mode but committed a turnover with 1:10 left.

After a Thomas basket tied the score at 53 with 52 seconds left, Johnson was fouled with 7.3 seconds left and hit both free throws for a 55-53 edge. Thomas took the inbounds pass and drove the length of the court for the layup that forced overtime.

“He’s been working all summer and all year, so I’m used to seeing that,” Wales said of Thomas.

Moore’s two free throws gave the Tigers a 57-55 lead in overtime, and his steal and layup made it 59-55 at the 2:20 mark. Trinity hit just 1 of 9 shots in the extra period, and the Tigers nailed 6 of 6 free throws in the final 1:13 to seal it.

Schooler said the victory will give the Tigers plenty of momentum entering the final five weeks of the regular season.

“We just have to keep working until we get to the final milestone,” he said.

Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.

FERN CREEK 65, TRINITY 58, OT

TRINITY (18-2) – Jacob King 8p; David Burton 2p, 6r; David Johnson 16p; L.J. Harris 6p, 6r; Justin Powell 5p; Jay Scrubb 12p; Lukas Burkman 9p.

FERN CREEK (18-2) – A.J. Thomas 10p; Anthony Wales 16p, 4s; Ahmad Price 8p; Daiquan Jones 2p; Clint Wickliffe 9p, 5r; Chance Moore 9p; Tony Rogers 11p, 5r.

L.J. “Butch” Charmoli MVP – Chance Moore (Fern Creek).

All-tournament team – Anthony Wales, Clint Wickliffe (Fern Creek); David Johnson, Jay Scrubb (Trinity); Jamil Wilson, Tyron Duncan (Ballard); Curt Lewis, Eric George (Valley); Caleb Williams (Eastern); Luke Ezell (Bullitt East); JacQuess Hobbs (Waggener); Dominique Knight (Central).

Scott Ruthsatz won a state championship in his third season at Covington Catholic, a team he says became “fundamentally sound, hard-nosed and very skilled.”

The Covington Catholic High School boys basketball team kept the No. 1 spot in The Courier-Journal’s Litkenhous Ratings released Monday.

The Colonels (15-4) have won three straight after knocking off Dayton (Ohio) Dunbar 70-68 on Sunday.

Scott County (12-5) is No. 2 in the Litratings, followed by Bowling Green (15-2), Ballard (12-4), Trinity (18-2) and Fern Creek (18-2).

Fern Creek beat both Ballard and Trinity on Saturday on its way to its first-ever Louisville Invitational Tournament title.

The Litratings are a computerized ranking of every team in the state based on strength of schedule, margin of victory and other factors. Games against out-of-state opponents are not factored.

Here are the complete rankings:

Members of the Fern Creek Tigers basketball team hoist the trophy after winning the championship game of the Louisville Invitational Tournament between the Fern Creek Tigers and the Trinity Shamrocks.

Here’s how I voted today in The Associated Press high school basketball polls. The official poll will be released Monday afternoon.

BOYS

1. Fern Creek (18-2)

2. Bowling Green (15-2)

3. Trinity (18-2)

4. Covington Catholic (15-4)

5. Scott County (12-5)

6. Christian County (13-2)

7. Cooper (14-3)

8. Ballard (12-4)

9. Campbell County (16-1)

10. Paul Dunbar (13-5)

Five more to watch: Lexington Catholic (13-6), Lexington Christian (14-4), Hopkinsville (14-4), Corbin (13-2), Doss (12-6)

GIRLS

1. Male (15-1)

2. Butler (16-1)

3. Simon Kenton (13-3)

4. Mercer County (13-4)

5. Sacred Heart (13-4)

6. Manual (14-3)

7. Murray (13-3)

8. Elizabethtown (13-2)

9. Franklin County (14-3)

10. Henderson County (13-2)

Five more to watch: Bullitt East (15-4), Mason County (11-3), Eastern (12-5), Highlands (13-4), Holmes (13-3)

Bowling Green forward Terry Taylor prepares to shoot over Doss forward Terez Traynor. Taylor scored 18 points in the game, the second highest scorer of the night, helping the #1 ranked Bowling Green Purples defeat the defending state champion Doss Dragons, 60-50. 17 December 2016

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The top teams in the Kentucky Associated Press high school basketball polls, with first-place votes, records, total points and previous rankings:

BOYS

Rank-School (FPV)          Rec       TP     Pvs

1. Bowling Green (5)          15-2       141     3

2. Trinity (1)                       18-2       139     1

3. Fern Creek (7)                18-2       137      4

4. Covington Catholic (3)       15-4       125     2

5. (tie) Scott County             15-4       77        6

5. (tie) Ballard                        15-3       77        5

7. Christian County                13-2       69       7

8. Campbell County (1)         16-1       46        9

9. Cooper                                14-3       42      10

10. Paul Dunbar                      13-5       21        8

Others receiving votes: Corbin 17. Hopkinsville 13. South Laurel 10. Apollo 5. North Laurel 4. Lexington Catholic 3. Elliott County 3. Graves County 2. Doss 2. Hancock County 1. Lexington Christian 1.

The following outlets participated in voting: The Daily Independent, Ashland; Daily News, Bowling Green; Times-Tribune, Corbin; East Kentucky Broadcasting, Pikeville; Daily Enterprise, Harlan; The Gleaner, Henderson; Kentucky New Era, Hopkinsville; Lexington Herald-Leader, Lexington; The Courier-Journal, Louisville; The Ledger Independent, Maysville; The Mayfield Messenger, Mayfield; Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro; The Paducah Sun, Paducah; Times Leader Princeton, Princeton; WDKY, Lexington; WKYX, Paducah; WSON, Henderson.

GIRLS

Rank-School (FPV)        Rec        TP      Pvs

1. Butler (9)                     16-1       151        1

2. Male (5)                       15-1       140        2

3. Mercer County (1)         13-4       112        3

4. Simon Kenton               13-3       94           4

5. Manual                         14-3       85         5

6. Elizabethtown (1)           13-2       61         8

7. Murray                           13-3       60         9

8. Sacred Heart                   13-4       56         6

9. Franklin County                14-3       38         7

10. Henderson County         13-2       33        10

Others receiving votes: Harlan County 16. Paintsville 6. Leslie County 5. Monroe County 3. Bullitt East 3. Graves County 3. Harlan 3. South Laurel 3. Scott County 2. Clark County 2. Mason County 1. Madison Central 1. Highlands 1. Nelson County 1.

The following outlets participated in voting: The Daily Independent, Ashland; Daily News, Bowling Green; Times-Tribune, Corbin; Daily Enterprise, Harlan; The Gleaner, Henderson; Kentucky New Era, Hopkinsville; Lexington Herald-Leader, Lexington; The Courier-Journal, Louisville; The Ledger Independent, Maysville; The Mayfield Messenger, Mayfield; Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro; The Paducah Sun, Paducah; Times Leader Princeton, Princeton; WDKY, Lexington; WKYX, Paducah; WSON, Henderson.

Sacred Heart’s Paige Hammons, a senior, was named Kentucky’s Miss Volleyball after helping the Valkyries win the state title and secure a No. 4 national ranking by PrepVolleyball.com. Hammons, a 6-foot-2 University of Florida signee, finished the season with 606 kills (5.4 per set), 280 digs, 62 blocks and 38 aces.

Sacred Heart Academy senior Paige Hammons was named the Gatorade Kentucky Volleyball Player of the Year on Tuesday.

The award recognizes athletic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character on and off the court. Hammons now is eligible for the Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year award.

Hammons, a 6-foot-2 senior outside hitter who has signed with the University of Florida, posted 606 kills, 280 digs, 62 blocks and 38 aces last season in helping the Valkyries to a 40-4 record and a state championship.

She is a member of the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team and was named Kentucky’s Miss Volleyball by the Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association.

Hammons also has a 3.29 grade-point average and volunteers at a senior living facility and with youth volleyball programs.

Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.

Manual’s Jaelin Carter out paces several Central defenders to score the touchdown. Aug. 19, 2016

Manual High School’s Jaelin Carter and Male’s B.K. Smith – both wide receivers – have announced their commitments to the Eastern Kentucky University football team.

The Commitment👀 https://t.co/EttaKStM3W

—
Jaelin Carter (@_JayyByrd) January 16, 2017

Carter, a 6-foot-3 202-pounder, had 42 receptions for 631 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Smith, a 5-11 180-pounder, had 55 catches for 938 yards and 10 TDs.

Both were honorable-mention selections to The Courier-Journal’s All-State team.

THANKFUL 🙏🏿 https://t.co/5tXWHhoK20

—
Brian Smith (BK) (@bkjr11) January 16, 2017

A member of the Ohio Valley Conference, Eastern Kentucky finished 3-8 last season.

Bullitt East head basketball coach Chris Stallings plots a play with Bullitt East guard Lindsey Duvall. Duvall is the highest scoring player on the team, breaking both the girls and boys record for most points scored at Bullitt East. 17 January 2017

With a Mercy Academy defender in her face most of the game, Bullitt East basketball star Lindsey Duvall had managed just 12 points and saw her team trailing by seven midway through the fourth quarter Tuesday night.

But she wasn’t fazed.

“You have to look at the bigger picture and put everything behind you,” Duvall said. “You get that adrenaline at the end and sort of go with it.”

The University of Louisville signee did just that, scoring 14 of her team’s final 17 points and adding a key blocked shot as the host Chargers rallied to beat the Jaguars 70-66 in a matchup of Sixth Region rivals.

Duvall finished with 26 points and added six rebounds as Bullitt East (16-4) – No. 15 in the state in The Courier-Journal’s Litkenhous Ratings – beat the No. 8 Jaguars (9-10).

“They know who to get the ball to when they need it, and she took care of it,” Mercy coach Keith Baisch said of Duvall.

Kirstie Henn (16 points, six rebounds) and Kathleen Scott (11 points, five rebounds) also had big nights for Bullitt East, which has won eight in a row and 14 of its past 15 games.

“At the beginning of the season I don’t think we would have won that game,” said Duvall, who last week passed Alison Bass as Bullitt East’s all-time leading scorer and now has 2,626 career points. “Our maturity sort of kicked in this game, and I think the future is bright for us right now.”

Danielle Feldkamp had 17 points and nine rebounds and led a balanced scoring attack for Mercy. Hope Sivori had 15 points, Sadie Zeisloft 14 and Regan Berger 10.

After leading by seven points midway through the fourth quarter, the Jaguars committed three crucial turnovers in the final minutes. The Chargers finished with a 22-6 advantage in points off turnovers.

“Down the stretch the difference was our composure,” Baisch said. “That’s only our second close game all year, so that’s a learning lesson. … We have a freshman point guard (Sivori) out there who had an incredible game. She’s playing her butt off and continuing to get better and better, but she’s never been in this situation before.”

Down 49-44 after three quarters, Mercy opened the fourth with a 14-2 run – getting 3-pointers from Sivori and Berger – and led 58-51 after two Zeisloft free throws with 3:46 remaining.

Taking advantage of Mercy’s turnovers, Bullitt East battled back and took a 63-62 lead on Duvall’s 3-pointer from the left wing with 1:36 left.

Chargers coach Chris Stallings said a late change in defenses keyed the comeback.

“Early in the year we were in that situation, and I didn’t think we executed,” he said. “Tonight we made enough shots … and I thought the change in pressure really helped generate some transition baskets for us.”

Sivori’s layup gave Mercy a 64-63 lead with 1:25 left, but Duvall answered with a jumper for a 65-64 lead at the 1:08 mark and then blocked a Berger shot with 55 seconds remaining.

Duvall hit 5 of 6 free throws in the final 37.6 seconds to seal the victory.

She finished 8 of 14 from the field, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range, and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line and did it all while being the focus of the Mercy defense.

“I know I have to create shots by doing other stuff and staying active,” she said. “It does get frustrating, but I’m used to it.”

Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.

BULLITT EAST 70, MERCY 66

MERCY (9-10) – Hope Sivori 15p; Sadie Zeisloft 14p; Regan Berger 10p, 3a; Josie Woods 7p; Camryn Muss 3p, 3a; Danielle Feldkamp 17p, 9r.

BULLITT EAST (16-4) – Lauren Masden 6p; Lindsey Duvall 26p, 6r; Alyssa Peak 5p; Kirstie Henn 16p, 6r; Kathleen Scott 11p, 3a; Emmy Ralph 6p.

Ballard head basketball coach Chris C. Renner talks to his players during a time-out. 18 December 2016

There was no Vonnie Patterson and no Jamil Wilson, but that was no problem for the Ballard boys’ basketball team Tuesday night.

Despite playing without their top two scorers, the host Bruins didn’t miss a beat, beating Doss 72-60 in a cross-region battle.

“We had to all step up,” said Ballard junior guard Tyron Duncan, who scored a team-high 16 points.

Junior forward Delonta Wimberly added 12 points, while previously little-used sophomore forward Jaylen Price chipped in with 10 for the Bruins.

Ballard coach Chris Renner knew he would be without Patterson (18.2 points, 10.2 rebounds per game), who injured his ankle in last week’s Republic Bank Louisville Invitational Tournament. However Wilson (15.8 ppg), the Bruins’ senior point guard, was a late scratch due to the flu. Patterson and Wilson  average a combined 34 points per game.

“With no time to prepare, I didn’t know how our guys would respond, so we just tried to do what we do best and that’s play defense and try and play fast,” Renner said. “I think that gave them some problems.”

The teams went back-and-forth for much of the first quarter before Ballard, No. 4 in The Courier-Journal’s Litkenhous Ratings, pulled ahead late in the period.

The Bruins led 18-14 at the conclusion of the first quarter, then started the second with a 9-2 run to extend their advantage to 11.

MORE PREPS COVERAGE

►Duvall rallies Bullitt East past Mercy

►Eastern pitcher commits to Kentucky

►Manual’s Carter, Male’s Smith commit to EKU

►Sacred Heart’s Hammons named Player of Year

►Stallings steps down as Moore football coach

Ballard shot 46.4 percent (13 for 28) in the first half, but also had some big plays on defense. The Bruins took at least five charges in the opening 16 minutes.

“We knew we had to do that because we were trying to run their shooters off the (3-point) line a little bit,” Renner said. “ (Jaylon) Hall, (Stephon) Franklin and (Cam) Maddox, they shoot the three so well we couldn’t just let them sit out there and have shooting practice. We wanted to get them playing a little faster.”

Hall, the Dragons’ leading scorer, was saddled with foul trouble in the first half.

The Bruins stretched their lead to 15 (46-31) on Duncan’s twisting layup, after which he gave a little muscle flex, midway through the third quarter.

Doss got as close as eight (the last time at 66-58) in the fourth quarter, but each time Ballard responded.

“Guys stepped up tonight, an example of that is Jaylen Price,” said Renner of the sophomore who had scored a total of four points in seven games before Tuesday. “(He) probably isn’t playing two minutes a game, if that. He’s probably played in five varsity games, but we got in a little foul trouble tonight and had to put him in and he ends up getting 10 points.

“We just had a lot of guys with not as much experience step up tonight and make plays. We talk about ‘Next man up’ and everybody being prepared, and the guys did a good job of that tonight.”

Hall, who recently announced his commitment to Wright State, scored 16 points (two below his average) to pace the Dragons (12-7) while Franklin tallied 12.

Doss, however, didn’t help itself at the free throw line. The Dragons, who came in ranked 18th in the state in free throw percentage (73.6), finished 14 for 27 (51.9 percent) from the charity stripe.

After the game, Doss coach Tony Williams appeared dejected, walking off the court with his head down.

“I don’t have anything,” he said later when asked for comment.

BALLARD 72, DOSS 60

DOSS (12-7) – Cam Maddox 7p; Stephon Franklin 12p; Shawn’Kel Knight-Goff 9p; Jaylon Hall 16p; Terez Traynor 10p; Jeremiah Boyd 2p; Joseph Roberson 4p.

BALLARD (13-4) – Marshon Ford 9p, 5r; Tyron Duncan 16p, 4r; Dorian Tisby 8p, 3stl; Antoine Darby 5p; Delonta Wimberly 12p, 6r; Tyrese Duncan 3p, 3a; Kereion Douglas 4p, 4r; Jaylen Price 10; Alex Holley 2p; Orlando Higginbottom 3p.

Oldham County High School’s boys basketball team had a chance to make a statement, and the team took its opportunity.

Oldham Co. head coach Coy B. Zerhusen guides his team during the first half of play against Owen Co., Thursday, February 18, 2016 at Owen County High School, in Owen County Ky.

Facing Trinity on the Colonels home court, the hosts hit shots and free throws down the stretch to knock off the Shamrocks, 60-59. It is Oldham Co.’s fourth consecutive win since starting their streak with a win over rival South Oldham, and Trinity’s second consecutive loss following its defeat in the Louisville Invitational Tournament final to Fern Creek.

“I think we’re starting to figure out that in the fourth quarter we’re making winning plays,” Colonels coach Coy Zerhusen said. “It was a battle throughout but in the fourth quarter we hit some big shots, made some big passes, got big rebounds, and we kept running throughout, and that’s who we are.”

Jackson Gibson led the way for the Colonels with 16 points, six rebounds and three steals, but the Colonels also got big performances from fellow upperclassmen. Ismail Jones scored 14 points and Travis Henderson scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

“This was our opportunity,” Zerhusen said of what he kept reminding his team. “With Trinity’s season, they’re gonna get everyone’s best shot and we had an opportunity to make a name for ourselves and keep guys focused and keep them aggressive. We kept them aggressive, and the guys just did a great job of making plays when it mattered.”

Trinity guard Jacob King was held to just 13 points and David Johnson scored just seven points in the defeat.

STORIES

BOYS

Ballard 72, Doss 60

Story: Short-handed Ballard defeat Doss

GIRLS

Bullitt East 70, Mercy 66

Story: Lindsey Duvall rallies Bullitt East over Mercy

Gallery: Bullitt East-Mercy

SCORES

BOYS

OLDHAM COUNTY 60, TRINITY 59

OLDHAM COUNTY (14-4)

Ismail Jones 14p; Ryan Heelan 7p; Jackson Gibson 16p, 6r, 3s; Travis Henderson 14p, 8r; Zach Larimore 7p, 8r; Caleb Strunk 2p.

TRINITY (18-3)

Justin Powell 9p; Jay Scrubb 12p; Lucas Burkman 11p; David Johnson 7p; Jacob King 13p; Stan Turnier 7p.

ST. XAVIER 50, CAL 45

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Tigers (10-6) held off the Centurions (15-4) in tightly contested, back-and-forth game. Pierce Kiesler scored 11 points to lead the Tigers, while both Parker Jones and Michael Woodward scored 11 points for the Centurions.

ST. XAVIER (10-6)

James Taylor 10p; Chase Westenhofer 2p; Tyler Barnes 8p; Paul Oberst 7p; Sam Boarman 9p; Evan Walker 3p; Pierce Kiesler 11p.

CAL (15-5)

Milton Wright 8p; Jeff Peterson 2p; K.C. Purvis 11p; Parker Jones 11p; Austin Carr 2p; Michael Woodward 11p.

EASTERN 69, COLLINS 42

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Eastern Eagles (11-7) jumped out to a 22-14 first quarter lead, then outscored the visiting Collins Titans (15-4), 16-4 in the second quarter to take a commanding 38-18 halftime lead. From there the Eagles cruised to their 11th victory of the season. The Eagles were led by Javen Rushin, who poured in 24 points, 20 of which came in the first half. Sophomore Isaiah Ross chipped-in 10 points. The Titans were led by Charlie Cochran with 15 points.

COLLINS (15-4)

Eric Mowder 3, Tyson Turner 3, Marcellus Vail 4, Sam Kaiser 1, Dayvion McKnight 3, T.J. Rawlins 4, Charles Cochran 15, Dominique Turner 7, Jacob Feltner 2

EASTERN (11-7)

Sugar Wyche 6, Jacob Robinson 8, Isaiah Ross 10, Braxton Johnson 5, Myles Goodrich 3, Kahlil Garmon 2, William Clay 2, Caleb Williams 9, Javen Rushin 24

FERN CREEK 78, J’TOWN 39

JEFFERSONTOWN, Ky. — It was all Tigers from the start as they thrashed the Chargers. Chance Moore had a game-high 25 points while Anthony Wales and Ahmad Price scored 11 and 10 points, respectively. Delvonte McCloud recorded a double-double for the hosts, carrying the Tigers with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

FERN CREEK (19-2)

Jaylen Howard 3p; AJ Thomas 6p; Anthony Wales 11p; Ahmad Price 10p; Daiquan Jones 3p; Darian Childress 4p; Kyrie Hawkins 4p; Chance Moore 25p; Rogers 5p; J. Coleman 3p; Jordan Gordon 2p; Cameron Blair 2p

J’TOWN (7-10)

Dakota White 4p; Justin Baker 2p; Chris Trigg 4p; Delvonte McCloud 18p, 10r; Jalen Davis 5p; Jalen Garnett 2p; Jaden Rogers 2p; Jordan Lyons 2p

SENECA 60, ATHERTON 53

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Keyontez Leach scored 14 points as the Redhawks outlasted the Rebels. The Rebels drew to within one point with three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter but consecutive turnovers helped give the Redhawks some breathing space, leading to their win. Phillip Armstrong and Dayshawn Chaney added 11 points each for the Redhawks, while Keion Bentley finished with 13 points for the Rebels.

SENECA (3-11)

Timothy Gordon 5p; Phillip Armstrong 11p; Dayshawn Chaney 11p; Richard Ninamou 6p; Rob Walker 3p; William Wright 1p; James Keelin 6p; Carl Parker 3p; Keyontez Leach 14p

ATHERTON (7-12)

Noah Weber 9p; Calnon 3p; Keion Bentley 13p; Abelson Barthelemy 4p; Ty Lauderdale 3p; Jordan Pulford 7p; Jastine Lado 12p; Josiah Price 2p

DESALES 69, BUTLER 52

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Colts outscored the Bears, 41-21 in the second half as the Colts overcame a halftime deficit to come up with a win. Austin Black, Sam Weining and Jaxon Burgess combined to score 50 of the team’s 69 points. Kelshawn Mozee had a game-high 22 points for the Bears, who fell for the seventh time this season.

DESALES (11-6)

Austin Black 17p; Dalton Kelly 4p; Jaxon Burgess 16p; Andrew Diersing 5p; Sam Weining 17p; Jack Michels 2p; Travis Seibert 8p

BUTLER (11-7)

Marcus Montgomery 5p; Austin Wise 3p; Ryan Luckitt 7p; Kelshawn Mozee 22p; Maurice Tolley 5p; Soloman Pennix 4p; Frank Bentley 2p; Michael Burns 2p; Michael Thompson 2p

Tournament

6th Region All “A” Classic

at Portland Christian

Shawnee 71, Evangel Christian 58

7th Region All “A” Classic

at Brown

ST. FRANCIS 88, BROWN 80

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Wyverns (7-5) defeat the Bears (5-11) in the 7th Region All “A” Classic. The Wyverns will advance to play Collegiate on Thursday, with the game hosted at Kentucky Country Day. The Wyverns were led by James Rasley, Jomar Sullivan and Ahmed Moore who contributed 26, 20 and 20 points respectively in the win. The Wyverns were able to hold the Bears off even though the Bears made several big runs throughout the game, cutting the lead but not being able to take the lead due to the Wyverns stealthy offense. The Bears were led by Jared Fife’s 16 points and Montez Moore’s 15 points.

ST. FRANCIS (7-5)

Bruce Hamilton 2p; T.J. Richardson 1p; Jonah Lestrange 7p; Noah Sparks 12p; Jomar Sullivan 20p; Ahmed Moore 20p; James Rasley 26p.

BROWN (5-11)

Kobe Hess 3p; Dawson Hodge 2p; Hashim Abdur-Rahman 10p; Montez Moore 15p; Collin Bynum 11p; Jairus Bibb 10p; Sanjay Sivils 13p; Jared Fife 16p.

Scores from around the state:

Adair Co. 76, Marion Co. 53

Allen Co.-Scottsville 60, Butler Co. 53

Apollo 81, Breckinridge Co. 66

Ashland Blazer 65, Rose Hill Christian 27

Bardstown 90, Central Hardin 83, 2OT

Barren Co. 61, Ohio Co. 43

Boyd Co. 91, Lewis Co. 78

Boyle Co. 66, Casey Co. 62

Buckhorn 71, Letcher County Central 57

Campbell Co. 83, Highlands 60

Charlestown, Ind. 92, Fox Creek 36

Clay Co. 72, North Laurel 63

Daviess Co. 85, Warren East 59

East Carter 70, Fleming Co. 63

Eminence 73, Henry Co. 62

Estill Co. 61, Menifee Co. 55

Franklin-Simpson 60, Greenwood 51

George Rogers Clark 70, Bourbon Co. 51

Greenup Co. 96, Mason Co. 80

Harlan Co. 67, Knox Central 63

Hazard 79, Breathitt Co. 75

John Hardin 80, Elizabethtown 43

Knott Co. Central 97, Jenkins 48

Lincoln Co. 57, Garrard Co. 50

Madison Central 69, West Jessamine 53

Mercer Co. 74, Montgomery Co. 39

Nelson Co. 59, Thomas Nelson 47

Nicholas Co. 77, Robertson County 58

North Hardin 68, Meade Co. 26

North Oldham 92, Anderson Co. 83

Owen Co. 58, Carroll Co. 42

Owensboro 61, Grayson Co. 38

Pikeville 73, Magoffin Co. 56

Powell Co. 108, Lee Co. 43

Raceland 75, St. Patrick 52

Red Bird 70, Thomas Walker, Va. 44

Riverside Christian 42, Ky. School for the Deaf 39

Rowan Co. 66, Russell 52

Shelby Valley 77, Betsy Layne 44

Sheldon Clark 83, Johnson Central 73

South Floyd 78, Paintsville 73

Southwestern 91, Russell Co. 57

Spencer Co. 65, LaRue Co. 46

Taylor Co. 66, Hart Co. 41

Webster Co. 57, Dawson Springs 42

Whitley Co. 53, Bell Co. 44

Williamstown 66, Simon Kenton 54

Woodford Co. 61, Western Hills 39

1st Region All “A” Classic

Murray 73, Fulton Co. 64

2nd Region All ‘‘A’’ Classic

Caldwell Co. 81, Fort Campbell 62

Livingston Central 48, Crittenden Co. 41

University Heights 74, Lyon Co. 60

3rd Region All ‘‘A’’ Classic

Edmonson Co. 53, McLean Co. 35

Owensboro Catholic 52, Hancock Co. 37

5th Region All ‘‘A’’ Classic

Campbellsville 58, Green Co. 40

9th Region All ‘‘A’’ Classic

Newport 76, Cov. Holy Cross 71

Newport Central Catholic 86, Dayton 60

16th Region All ‘‘A’’ Classic

Elliott Co. 82, West Carter 68

GIRLS

MANUAL 76, CAL 51

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Crimson (14-3) rolled past the Centurions (12-5). Jaela Johnson led the Crimson with 17 points. Nila Blackford added 13 points for the Crimsons. The Centurions appeared outmatched from the beginning as the Crimsons worked their offense to perfection to place points on the board early and often. The Crimson controlled the tempo of the game. CAL, played within their offense as Shelby Calhoun posted 15 points, nine rebounds, four assists, four steals and seven blocks. Summer Conti contributed 13 points, three rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block for the Centurions.

MANUAL (14-3)

Jaela Johnson 17p; Marlena Groves 2p; Tyonne Howard 15p; Jeanay Riley 2p; Aniah Griffin 10p; Tonysha Curry 11p; Dejah Chatman 4p; Nila Blackford 13p; Olivia Evans 2p.

CAL (12-5)

Hayley Ice 5p, 1r, 1s; Summer Conti 13p, 3r, 5a, 2s, 1b; Emma Frank 2p, 2r, 1a, 1s; Shelby Calhoun 15p, 9r, 4a, 4s, 7b; Sarah McDonald 5p, 3r; Mia Beam 11p; 2r, 2b.

BULLITT EAST 70, MERCY 66

BULLITT EAST (15-4)

Lauren Masden 6p; Lindsey Duvall 26p, 5r; Alyssa Peak 5p; Kirstie Henn 16p, 6r; Kathleen Scott 11p, 6r, 8s; Emma Ralph 6p.

MERCY (9-9)

Hope Sivori 15p; Sadie Ziesloft 14p; Regan Berger 10p; Josie Woods 7p; Camryn Muss 3p; Danielle Feldkamp 17p.

FERN CREEK 67, J’TOWN 34

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Tigers (11-8) defeated the Chargers (5-12) by a solid performance from Alexis Smith’s 21 points. Nsasa Mackanda added an additional 14 points and Maelyn Ridener chipped in 11 points. Smith led all scorers. The Tigers were able to jump out to an early lead. They were able to keep command of the lead through an efficient offensive attack.

FERN CREEK (11-8)

Kayla Harris 2p; Nsasa Mackanda 14p; Maelyn Ridener 11p; Lauren Smith 2p; Stallard 2p; Kasia Harris 2p; Alexis Smith 21p; Sierra Hancock 2p; Nae Nae Athoba 2p; Tiana Austin 6p; Kaelynn Fox 2p; Jordan Anderson 2p.

J’TOWN (5-12)

Jasmine Majors 2p; Kamaya White 3p; Kaleb McDonald 2p; Jasmine Thomas 9p; Mac Baker 1p; Nia Cole 2p; Telia Perks 6p; Shaolin Morton 2p; Naomi Johnson 6p.

SENECA 60, ATHERTON 46

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Redhawks (4-13) rallied in the third to overcome the Rebels (9-12). The Redhawks rallied in the third quarter to take the lead over the Rebels. Daisja Trotter was the offensive engine that fueled the Redhawks. Trotter scored 34 points in the contest and led all scorers. Sarah Overly provided Rebels with all the firepower she could finishing the game with 24 points total. However, Overly’s 24 points would not be enough to push Atherton over Seneca.

SENECA (4-13)

Ashanti Starks 7p; Daisja Trotter 34p; Breanna Anthony 12p; Alexis White 3p; Marie Ninamou 4p.

ATHERTON (9-12)

Lauren Burks 3p; Sarah Overly 24p; Taeci White 12p; Laron Washington 1p; Samantha Nevitt 2p; Martinez 2p; Kaylynn Thompson 2p.

SOUTH OLDHAM 64, GRANT CO. 61

CRESTWOOD, Ky. – The Dragons (13-5) come back from a 14-point deficit to record a three-point victory. The Dragons found a way to defeat the Braves despite being down 53-41 during the fourth quarter. The Dragons were led by Sydney Herold’s 20 points, Maggie Smith’s 20 points and Peyton Herold’s 18 points. The Braves were led by Bryann Ezell’s 14 points and Lindsey Kinard’s 13 points.

SOUTH OLDHAM (13-5)

Sydney Herold 20p; Maggie Smith 20p; Peyton Herold 18p; Lexi Bowlden 4p; Skyler Sahatijian 2p.

GRANT CO. (12-5)

Bryann Ezell 14p; Lindsey Kinard 13p; Alecea Homer 8p; Abby West 8p; Shelby Gutman 8p; Shania Young 5p; Madison Ruebusch 5p.

ANDERSON CO. 72, SHELBY CO. 44

SHELBYVILLE, Ky. – Alorra Simms scored 21 points and Taylor Harley scored 18 as the Bearcats mauled the Rockets. The Bearcats controlled throughout, with Jaclynn Reubel adding eight points. Zoey Holland led the way for the Rockets with 14 points.

ANDERSON CO. (12-5)

Sammy Rogers 4p; Alorra Simms 21p; Taylor Harley 18p; Jaclynn Ruebel 8p; Lauren Boblitt 6p; Sophie Smith 7p; Taylor Brown 3p; Amiah Mason 5p.

SHELBY CO. (7-11)

Zephaniah Gray 2p; Zoey Holland 14p; Amie Conley 11p; Jenna Jones 6p; Alyssa Roberts 2p; Asia Hardy 6p; Kaitlyn Disch 3p.

Tournaments

6th Region All “A” Classic

at Portland Christian

HOLY CROSS 49, SHAWNEE 37

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Cougars (7-12) battled to a 12-point win in the All “A” Sixth Region semifinal at Portland Christian. The Cougars were led by Halle Snyder, who scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. The Cougars will advance to Friday night’s Sixth Region final. Jalana Scruggs of Shawnee led all scorers with 21 points.

HOLY CROSS (7-12)

Kailey Reed 13p, 4a; Lauren Schraut 1p, 5r; Halle Snyder 20 p 11r; Amber Kaufman 9p; Gabby Vasquez 6p, 3s.

SHAWNEE (7-7)

Keiana Patterson 5p; Dakeya Bolden 3p; Janae Smith 2p; Jalana Scruggs 21p; Taneysha Allen 6p.

7th Region All “A” Classic

at Brown

ST. FRANCIS 72, COLLEGIATE 55

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Junior guard Alexis Nelson led all scorers with 44 points to lead the Wyverns (7-5) past the Amazons (4-11). Freshman guard Caroline Pepa added 10 points for St. Francis. Sophie Call led Collegiate with 16 points. St. Francis advances to the semifinal round and will play Whitefield Academy Wednesday evening at Kentucky Country Day.

COLLEGIATE (4-11)

Sophie Call 16p; Trinitee Sutton 12p; Caroline Doyle 9p; Pasqualina Formina 3p; Brenda Oliver 5p; Laila Hayes-Walker 2p; Eliza Steenroa 2p;

ST. FRANCIS (7-5)

Alexis Nelson 44p; Tori Richardson 6p; Audree Huebner 1p; Jamani Reed 7p; Caroline Pepa 10p; Lily Johnson 4p

Scores from around the state: 

Anderson Co. 70, Shelby Co. 44

Apollo 67, Breckinridge Co. 46

Bardstown 54, Bullitt Central 20

Barren Co. 68, Ohio Co. 21

Belfry 79, Phelps 44

Bowling Green 78, Christian Co. 77, OT

Campbell Co. 58, Boone Co. 40

Carroll Co. 38, Owen Co. 33

Casey Co. 43, Pulaski Co. 39

Conner 67, Bishop Brossart 40

Corbin 52, Jackson Co. 50

Cov. Holy Cross 58, Highlands 56

Dayton 37, Bellevue 30

Grayson Co. 61, Owensboro 36

Green Co. 63, Campbellsville 28

Greenwood 44, Franklin-Simpson 37

Hopkins Co. Central 58, Paducah Tilghman 49

Knott Co. Central 82, Jenkins 32

Ky. School for the Deaf 34, St. Rita School for the Deaf, Ohio 8

Lee Co. 64, Powell Co. 56

Leslie Co. 66, Owsley Co. 49

Lexington Catholic 64, Estill Co. 41

Lincoln Co. 53, Garrard Co. 41

Logan Co. 55, Butler Co. 46

Lynn Camp 55, Oneida Baptist 12

Marion Co. 72, Adair Co. 53

Marshall Co. 42, Hopkinsville 32

Mason Co. 79, Russell 49

Mercer Co. 74, Lex. Paul Dunbar 49

Montgomery Co. 54, Bracken Co. 50

Nelson Co. 79, Thomas Nelson 35

Newport Central Catholic 86, Notre Dame 60

Nicholas Co. 59, Robertson County 25

North Laurel 61, Clay Co. 58

Paintsville 68, Hazard 41

Pendleton Co. 57, Augusta 52

Pike Co. Central 70, Sheldon Clark 47

Rockcastle Co. 53, Wayne Co. 47

Russell Co. 67, Southwestern 37

South Laurel 68, Bell Co. 29

South Warren 58, Warren Central 23

Taylor Co. 64, Hart Co. 48

Thomas Walker, Va. 67, Red Bird 37

Union Co. 52, Hamilton County, Ill. 34

Villa Madonna 49, Calvary Christian 42

Whitley Co. 79, McCreary Central 43

Wolfe Co. 54, Buckhorn 42

1st Region All ‘‘A’’ Classic

Mayfield 37, St. Mary 35

11th Region All ‘‘A’’ Classic

Lex. Sayre 54, Lex. Christian 30

12th Region All ‘‘A’’ Classic

Danville 72, Burgin 14

KCD’s Anthony Mathis shoots the ball during the first half of play against Eastern, Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at Ballard High School.

The All “A” Classic regional basketball tournaments are being held in Louisville this week.

Regional champions will advance to the All “A” Classic state tournaments set for Jan. 25-29 at the Frankfort Convention Center.

All “A” events are limited to the 120 smallest high schools in Kentucky, based on enrollment in grades 9-12.

Here are the regional tournament schedules for the Louisville area:

GIRLS

SIXTH REGION

At Portland Christian

* Monday – Beth Haven 47, Portland Christian 36

* Tuesday – Holy Cross 49, Shawnee 37

* Wednesday – Beth Haven vs. Presentation, 5:45 p.m.

* Friday – Final, Holy Cross vs. Beth Haven-Presentation winner, 8 p.m.

SEVENTH REGION

At Kentucky Country Day

* Tuesday – St. Francis 72, Collegiate 55

* Wednesday – St. Francis vs. Whitefield Academy, 5 p.m.; Brown vs. Kentucky Country Day, 7 p.m.

* Friday – Final, 6 p.m.

BOYS

SIXTH REGION

At Portland Christian

* Monday – Beth Haven 64, Portland Christian 53

* Tuesday – Shawnee 71, Evangel Christian 58

* Wednesday – Shawnee vs. Holy Cross, 7:30 p.m.

* Friday – Final, Beth Haven vs. Shawnee-Holy Cross winner, 6 p.m.

SEVENTH REGION

At Kentucky Country Day

* Tuesday – St. Francis 88, Brown 80

* Thursday – St. Francis vs. Collegiate, 5 p.m.; Whitefield Academy vs. Kentucky Country Day, 7 p.m.

* Friday – Final, 8 p.m.

Justin Blanford has been named the new football coach at Eastern High School.

Justin Blanford has been named the new football coach at Eastern High School, athletic director Matt Girardin announced Wednesday.

Blanford spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Eastern and previously was an assistant at Jeffersontown (2013-14), Bardstown (2003-12), Western (2001-02) and Male (1999-2000).

Blanford is a Bardstown High School and University of Louisville graduate.

“Coach Blanford is definitely 100 percent committed to Eastern High School and Eastern football and the goal of moving Eastern football back into the elite in Kentucky,” Girardin said. “He’s had extensive experience coaching on both sides of the ball. He knows our kids and knows the expectations at Eastern. We felt like he’ll take Eastern High School football to new levels of success.”

Blanford replaces Shaun Davis, who stepped down after posting a 12-22 record over three seasons. The Eagles finished 5-7 last year, falling to Trinity 49-0 in the second round of the Class 6-A playoffs.

Eastern is among seven Jefferson County Public Schools programs that will have new football coaches for the 2017 season. Ballard, Central, Moore, Pleasure Ridge Park, Seneca and Western are still conducting their searches.

This story will be updated.

Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.

Kiki Samsel continues to establish herself this season as one of the top scorers in the Commonwealth.

Sacred Heart’s Kiki Samsel, #10, shoots over Male during their 7th Region Tournament game at Valley High School. Mar. 2, 2016

The junior guard tied a career-high with 21 points as the Sacred Heart Academy girls basketball team routed Scott High School, 67-48, on the road Wednesday evening. It was the third consecutive road game for the Valkyries (14-4), and sixth consecutive victory.

Not to be outdone, Grace Berger, an Indiana commit, had another all-around strong performance, scoring 18 points, grabbing nine rebounds, dishing out seven assists and creating two steals. Freshman Kristen

Clemons came off the bench to score eight points and grab six rebounds, four of them on the offensive glass.

Sacred Heart is back in action Saturday morning against another out-of-state opponent in the Saint Joseph School from West Virginia in the Raatz Fence/O’Shea’s Classic, hosted by Mercy Academy.

Here are scores and stats from boys and girls basketball around Louisville and the state on Jan. 18, 2017:

GIRLS

SACRED HEART 67, SCOTT 48

SACRED HEART (14-4)

Cierra Scott 2p; Ashlee Harris 3p, 3a; Kiki Samsel 21p, 3r, 4a; Erin Toller 3p; Kia Sivils 7p, 3r; Kristen Clemons 8p, 6r; Grace Berger 18p, 9r, 7a; Natalie Fichter 5p, 3r.

SCOTT (10-8)

Kelly Franxman 11p, 4r; Summer Secrist 14p, 4a; Emma Profitt 4p, 3r; Kimberly Davis 6p, 6r; Kristen Brown 2p, 6r; Alexis Stapleton 11p, 5r.

NORTH BULLITT 63, SOUTHERN 23

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Eagles (13-5) flew past the host Trojans (5-14) to win a fifth-consecutive game. North Bullitt had raced out to a 21-6 lead by the end of the first quarter. Nia Sheckles led all scorers with 12 points for Southern.

NORTH BULLITT (13-5)

Katie Milby 6p; Alexis Mouser 3p; Hailey Free 5p; Ayanna Rios 8p; Cambria Wulf 4p; Lauren Deel 4p; Sarah Janes 8p; Janice Janes 7p; Kaylie Davis 10p; Emily Tryman 8p.

SOUTHERN (5-14)

Nia Sheckles 12p; Krystal Jackson 4p; Azari Prescod 2p; Marsharea Henderson 1p; Dasani Johnson 4p.

PRP 77, VALLEY 42

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Amani Saunders and Perri Mitchell led the Panthers (9-7) in a rout of the Vikings (4-7). Saunders scored a game-high 18 points, while Mitchell added 17 points. After a close first half, the Chargers used 26-6 run in third quarter to put the game away.

VALLEY (4-7)

Serena Brumback 6p; Brooklyn Black 11p; Faith James 1p; Lazhia Mitchell 14p; Arion Holmes 6p; Mahogany Maddox 4p.

PRP (9-7)

Makenna Combs 2p; Reaunna Halsell 10p; Taylor Price 4p; Amani Saunders 18p; Mariah Jones 15p; Perri Mitchell 17p; Dayja Evans 11p.

CENTRAL 73, FAIRDALE 64

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Stephonie Cole had a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Yellow Jackets (8-6) to a victory over Fairdale (6-12). Central raced out to a 20-9 lead in the first quarter and never trailed. Janaesha Jefferson led the Bulldogs with 20 points.

FAIRDALE (6-12)

Shanice Thomas 6p; Tyasia Brown 8p; Janaesha Jefferson 20p; Valerie Johnson 14p; Sheree Lattimore 2p; Maria Nylund 14p.

CENTRAL (8-6)

Thelisia Guin 9p, 9r; Shamaria Stikes 2p, 5a; Gerail Pickett 3p; Precious Hereford 17p; Darian Neal 12p; Stephonie Cole 24p, 10r; India New 4p; Domonique Blakey 2p.

6th Region All “A” Classic at Portland Christian

PRESENTATION 59, BETH HAVEN 25

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Lilly Stevenson scored 12 points, pushing her past 1,000 for her high school career, to lead Presentation (11-6) past the Bearcats (4-9). The Toppers will take on Holy Cross on Friday at 8 p.m. at Portland Christian in the 6th Region All “A” Classic Final.

PRESENTATION (11-6)

Nicole Kuchma 6p; Hannah Smith 4p; Ashlynn Tucker 1p; Courtney Jackson 14p; Jaelin Thompson 3p; Lilly Stevenson 12p; Julia Vogt 3p; Lili Cortese 2p; Madison Perkins 4p; Cassie Jones 10p.

BETH HAVEN (4-9)

Kenzie Davis 5p; Delanie White 5p; Gabby Ellis 2p; Leslie Pierre 8p; Becca Sharp 2p; Serena Vaughn 3p.

7th Region All “A” Classic at KCD

WHITEFIELD ACADEMY 73, ST. FRANCIS 46

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Abby Ritter scored 30 points to lead Whitefield Academy (7-9) past the Wyverns (7-6) in the first game of the 7th Region All “A” Classic. The Wildcats broke the game open with a 23-13 third quarter. Jamani Reed led St. Francis with 19 points. Alexis Nelson was held to just 17 points in the defeat. Whitefield will play KCD in the final game on Friday night.

ST. FRANCIS (7-6)

Alexis Nelson 17p; Jamani Reed 19p; Destiny Otto 3p; Caroline Pepa 4p; Norah Patrick 1p; Parker Smith 2p.

WHITEFIELD ACADEMY (7-9)

Jaya McClure 13p; Sarah Mercer 2p; Lauren Harris 11p; Haley Gaines 2p; Abby Ritter 30p; Bekah Dwyer 3p; Ashley Pike 2p; Juliana Yates 8p; Ellie Shipp 2p.

KCD 57, BROWN 49

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Olyvia Green scored 25 points to spark KCD (4-13) in a wire-to-wire victory over Brown (7-9). The Bears were led by Sydney Houseal with 11 points. KCD will host Whitefield in the 7th Region All “A” Classic Final on Friday night.

BROWN (7-9)

Sydney Johnson 8p; Brianna Williams 4p; Madi Cockroft 10p; Lexi Henderson 1p; Fati Abdur-Rahman 9p; Natalie Copeland 2p; Hanna Corus 4p; Sydney Houseal 11p.

KCD (4-13)

Meghana Manchi 11p, 5r; Kierra Scott 10p, 9r, 3a; Tia Dowling 9p, 8r; Rachel Jennings 1p, 7r, 5a; Olyvia Green 25p, 11r; Iyla Draw 1p, 5r, 3a.

Scores from around the state: 

Bath Co. 49, Fairview 37

Buckhorn 63, Cordia 20

Butler 62, Eastern 46

Central Wise, Va. 78, Jenkins 17

Cov. Latin 36, Cin. SCPA, Ohio 5

Dixie Heights 67, St. Henry 46

East Ridge 61, Hazard 60

George Rogers Clark 74, Paris 27

Harrison Co. 59, Robertson County 32

Lewis Co. 50, Bourbon Co. 36

Lloyd Memorial 61, Boone Co. 51

Magoffin Co. 72, Allen Central 44

Manchester, Ohio 51, Augusta 35

Spencer Co. 47, Walton-Verona 46

Wolfe Co. 46, Breathitt Co. 41

4th Region All ‘‘A’’ Classic

Metcalfe Co. 47, Cumberland Co. 32

Monroe Co. 65, Clinton Co. 26

5th Region All ‘‘A’’ Classic

Bethlehem 55, Caverna 32

11th Region All ‘‘A’’ Classic

Berea 41, Frankfort 36

Toyota Classic

Ryle 70, Scott Co. 55

BOYS

SOUTHERN 78, NORTH BULLITT 75, OT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Trojans (8-10) survived an overtime thriller over visiting the visiting Eagles (6-12). Southern built an 11-point lead at the half, but the Eagles used a 21-6 run in the third quarter to take control. Dan Black hit a 3-pointer with three seconds remaining in regulation to cap the Southern rally. Matthew Jones went 3-of-4 from the free-throw line with in the final minute and the Eagles were unable to tie the game on the final possession. Travis Dunnavan led all scorers with 28 points for North Bullitt.

NORTH BULLITT (6-12)

Logan Steinmacher 2p; Peyton Luttrell 9p; Travis Dunnavan 28p; Lance Johnson 6p; Nate Johnson 7p; Dylan Ing 4p; Brendan Holt 19p.

SOUTHERN (8-10)

Dan Black 23p; Charles Wilson 22p; Jevon Collier 2p; Isaiah Jackson 5p; Olieng Kalakon 4p; Matthew Jones 15p; Hakeim Reedel 7p.

BULLITT EAST 79, MANUAL 46

MT WASHINGTON, Ky. — After a sluggish first half, the Chargers found their shot as they pummeled the Crimsons at home. The Chargers led by just four points after one quarter but turned on the jets in the second, outscoring the Crimsons 23-3 in the second quarter, which included five 3-pointers. Jared Osborne led the Chargers with 18 points and Conner Green finished with 17 points. Kenyan Jacob led the Crimsons with 15 points.

BULLITT EAST (13-6)

Conner Green 17p; Noah Wilson 3p; Grant Skaggs 1p; Rece Watson 2p; Konnor Polson 4p; Derrick Donigan 8p; Jared Osborne 18p; Sean Johnson 9p; Luke Ezell 9p; Thomas Wisehart 5p; Michael Page 2p; Zak Perdew 1p

MANUAL (3-12)

Lester Perez-Garay 2p; Jordan McClendon 11p; Kenyan Jacob 15p; Brock Cassin 9p; Eli Roberts 3p; TJ Ballard 2p; Noah Hawkins 2p; Alex Conlin 2p

VALLEY 71, PRP 64

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Cameron Johnson scored 20 points to lead Valley to a big win over the rival Panthers. Trey Hill led PRP with 20 points and 10 rebounds in the defeat.

PRP (9-8)

BJ Robinson 2p, 5r; Micah Kennebrew 1p; Gerald Gray Jr. 18p, 10r; Trey Hill 20p, 10r; Cyncer Wilson 15p; Cashawn Beasley 6p, 8r; Tyler Anderson 2p.

VALLEY(13-4)

Cameron Wilson 20p; Raekwon Evans 11p; Curt Lewis 12p; Xavier Johnson 6p; Eric George 12p; B Angelo Anderson 10p.

HOLY CROSS 84, SHAWNEE 35

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Cougars advanced to the finals of the Sixth Region All “A” Classic with a thrashing of the Golden Eagles. Chase Phillips scored 21 points while Ethan Short scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. The Golden Eagles’ Nick Warf led the way for his team with 12 points.

HOLY CROSS (9-8)

Chase Phillips 21p, 2a; Ethan Short 15p, 10r; DeShawn Ellis 13p, 7a, 6r; Max Bearden 8p, 5r; Shane Barkley 7p; Ethan Driskell 6p, 11r; Cooper Scott 6p; Sam Bearden 4p; Cade Crowley 2p, 6a; Keeton Thornsberry 2p

SHAWNEE (1-16)

Nick Warf 12p; Jermon Boyd 11p; Amontay Mitchell 7p; Lajuantre Gray 2p; Robert Pillow 2p; Ronald Lewis 1p

FAIRDALE 74, CENTRAL 48

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bulldogs pulled away from the Yellow Jackets late as they returned to a .500 record. Craig Ash scored 18 points and Glenn Queen scored 17 points for the Bulldogs in the win. Devin Firman scored 16 points for the Yellow Jackets but he was the only played to finish in double-figure scoring.

FAIRDALE (8-8)

Glenn Queen 17p; Jaxon Gaddie 13p; Isaiah Roby 4p; Seth Dewboys 9p; Treziaun Allen 5p; Craig Ash 18p; Jacobi Dixon 8p;

CENTRAL (9-8)

Korey Johnson 6p; Derron Douglas 3p; Devin Firman 16p; Josh Watkins 5p; Josh Black 2p; Antwan Thompson 2; Michael Romain 6p; Chris Wallace 4p; Tre Thomas 4p

WESTERN 66, IROQUOIS 55

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Juvon Thompson’s big night helped the Warriors topple the Raiders. Thompson recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while DaJour Cameron led the team with 15 points to go with his five rebounds. Davarrio Martin scored a game-high 23 points to go with six rebounds for the Raiders, while Keelan Kennedy recorded a double-double of his own in the defeat, scoring 14 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

WESTERN (7-9)

Oneal Swint 9p, 5r; Dajour Cameron 15p, 5r; Tyon Pearson 7p, 5r; Juvon Thompson 14p, 10r; Rusean Wright 2p; Stoney Mack 6p, 1r; Jaelin Shannon 8p, 5r; Anthony Lewis 2p, 2r; Mark Jones 2p; Dazmen Lively 1p

IROQUOIS (10-9)

TC Wright 5p, 4r; Damon Richardson 7p, 1r; Tresaun Edwards 2p, 1r; Davarrio Martin 23p, 6r; Marcelle McDaniel 2p, 3r; Keelan Kennedy 14p, 11r; Kalon Howard 2p, 6r

Scores from around the state: 

Belfry 64, Pike Co. Central 56

Cin. N. College Hill, Ohio 48, Holmes 38

Cov. Catholic 55, Cooper 52

Dixie Heights 65, Conner 48

Leslie Co. 69, Jackson City 49

Shelby Co. 53, Franklin Co. 49

Walton-Verona 59, Boone Co. 39

1st Region All ‘‘A’’ Classic

Carlisle Co. 55, Hickman Co. 46

5th Region All ‘‘A’’ Classic

Fort Knox 69, Caverna 65

9th Region All ‘‘A’’ Classic

Lloyd Memorial 73, St. Henry 36

Ludlow 58, Villa Madonna 51

Toyota Classic

Scott Co. 82, Rockcastle Co. 53

Butler Bearettes guard Jaelynn Penn makes the turnt toward the goal defended by Male Lady Bulldogs forward Logan Calvert.

The Butler and Male high school girls basketball teams kept the top two spots in The Courier-Journal’s Litkenhous Ratings released Thursday.

Butler is 17-1 and has a 17-game winning streak entering Friday’s 7:30 p.m. home game against No. 4 Manual (15-3).

Male (15-1) will take a four-game winning streak into Friday’s 6 p.m. home game against Central.

The Litratings are a computerized ranking of every team in the state based on strength of schedule, margin of victory and other factors. Games against out-of-state opponents are not factored.

Here are the complete ratings:

Fairdale senior guard Valerie Johnson

Valerie Johnson is a standout girls’ basketball player for Fairdale High School.

The 5-foot-5 senior combo guard is averaging a team-high 14.8 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 72 percent from the free-throw line for the Bulldogs (6-12) this season.

Johnson, who earned second-team All-Sixth Region honors last season, had 22 points and six rebounds in a 64-56 loss to Bryan Station on Saturday in the Fairdale New Year Exposure.

Q: When did you start playing basketball?

A: I was in fourth grade and I just needed something to focus on and get me through school because I really wasn’t a wanting-to-go-to-school person. So I dedicated myself to basketball to get me through school, and that’s what my focus has been since then.

Q: What’s your role on the team?

A: The leader. Everyone plays off of me, my energy. They look up to me, so I try my best to keep it going. It’s kind of hard being a leader. You’ve got everyone looking up to you, so you don’t want to make any wrong decisions or mess up.

Q: What’s it like being the only senior on the team?

A: I was the only junior last year, so I feel like I came in by myself (and) I’m going to leave by myself.

Q: The team went to Florida over Christmas break. What was that like?

A: It was fun. It was a good experience because I’d never really been on a team trip like that with school going that far. But I traveled in AAU, so it was kind of the same, but it was new to the girls so I had to tell them, “We’ve got to do this, we’ve got to do that.” It was a good experience.

Q: You scored a career-high 31 points against Southern earlier this season. Tell me about that game.

A: It was good. My other teammate (Ty Brown), she got her career-high (too). She scored, I think 24 (actually 20), so it was good for her. She’s a sophomore. We all played good that game.

Q: You transferred to Fairdale from Waggener over Christmas break of your sophomore year. Are you glad you did?

A: I feel like it was a good switch. I could focus more here than at Waggener, all my grades changed, I’m making A’s and B’s here. I like it here, especially because they have law enforcement and it’s what I want to do.

Q: Is that what you want to do for a career?

A: I want to be a detective, so I’m going to go into criminal justice.

Q: What sparked that?  

A: I’ve always watched “CSI” and “Law & Order,” so I was like, “That’s what I want to do.” I just looked into it, so that’s just been my dream ever since I got hooked on those TV shows.

Q:  What’s your relationship like with Coach Price?

A: He’s a good coach, I look up to him. He’s played a big role in my life. When I don’t have anyone, I can go to him and talk to him about anything. He made me a better player than what I was. He makes me see the game different. He’s a pretty good coach.

Q: What are your strengths on the court?  

A: Getting to the basket and making free throws.

Q: What’s your goal this season?

A: I want to at least win districts, because we haven’t done that in a while here, so that’s my main goal. And to make the all-region team again.

Q: Speaking of the district you have a big district game Friday night against PRP. What’s it going to take to win?  

A: If we just come out focused, play hard, right off the top then play hard through the whole game we’ve got a good chance of winning. But we’ve got to stay focused and play hard ‘til the buzzer.

VALERIE JOHNSON UP CLOSE

School: Fairdale.

Year: Senior.

Sport: Basketball.

Student-athlete: Valerie, who has a 3.0 GPA, says her favorite subject is math.

Family: Valerie, 18, lives with her mother, Hope Knuckles, and her younger sister, Jaida, 13. Her older sister, Daija, 20, is a student at the University of Kentucky.

Fairdale coach Marco Price says: I’ve had her for two and a half years now, and the one thing that hasn’t changed – and has been consistent since I first got her – is her work ethic. She works extremely hard, and that’s what you want out of your most talented player and your senior.

Male’s Emilia Sexton (5), shoots between the defense of Bullit East’s Lauren Masden (10), left, and Emmy Ralph (24) during the championship game of The Queen of The Commonwealth tournament, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016 in Mt. Washington KY. (Timothy D. Easley/Special to the C-J)

Nine of the top 20 girls basketball teams from Kentucky and several out-of-state powers will compete in this weekend’s Raatz Fence/O’Shea’s Basketball Classic at Mercy Academy.

The event set for Friday and Saturday will include a total of 12 games and feature teams from Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.

Nine teams in the top 20 of The Courier-Journal’s Litkenhous Ratings will be in action – No. 1 Butler, No. 2 Male, No. 3 Mercer County, No. 4 Manual, No. 6 Sacred Heart No. 8 Mason County, No. 9 Mercy, No. 13 Bullitt East and No. 18 Eastern.

Kentucky’s top four teams will play in consecutive games Saturday when Manual faces Mercer County at 2:45 p.m., Butler meets Lombard (Illinois) Montini Catholic at 4:15 p.m. and Male faces St. Louis Incarnate Word at 6 p.m.

Montini Catholic is 20-0 and ranked No. 10 in the nation by USA Today. Male, ranked No. 23 in the nation by USA Today, will face an Incarnate Word squad that is ranked No. 1 in the state in Missouri’s Class 4.

Here is the complete schedule (all times p.m. unless noted):

* Friday – Cincinnati Princeton vs. Assumption, 4:30; Huntington (W.Va.) St. Joseph Central Catholic vs. Bullitt East, 6; Mercer County vs. St. Louis Incarnate Word, 7:30; Toledo (Ohio) Rogers vs. Mercy, 9.

* Saturday – Christian Academy vs. Cincinnati Princeton, 10 a.m.; Sacred Heart vs. Huntington (W.Va.) St. Joseph Central Catholic, 11:30 a.m.; Bullitt East vs. Mason County, 1:15; Manual vs. Mercer County, 2:45; Butler vs. Lombard (Illinois) Montini Catholic, 4:15; St. Louis Incarnate Word vs. Male, 6; Mercy vs. Columbus (Ind.) North, 7:30; Eastern vs. Toledo (Ohio) Rogers, 9.

Wrestling

Several of the state’s top wrestling programs are scheduled to compete in Saturday’s 22nd annual Dragon Invitational at South Oldham.

Wrestling is set to start at 9:30 a.m., with finals scheduled for approximately 6 p.m.

Nine teams in the top 25 of the KentuckyWrestling.com rankings are entered – No. 2 St. Xavier, No. 3 Woodford County, No. 9 Christian County, No. 12 Oldham County, No. 15 Calloway County, No. 17 North Oldham, No. 18 Jeffersontown, No. 19 Scott and No. 25 Fern Creek.

When Vonnie Patterson, Jamil Wilson and Marshon Ford return to the court, Ballard’s High School boys basketball team will immediately become one of the deepest squads in the state.

Ballard’s Delonta Wimberly (21) drives past Bullitt East’s Konnor Polson (10) during their game in the Louisville Invitational Tournament, Friday, Jan. 13, 2017 in Louisville Ky.

Playing without its top three scorers, Ballard still found a way to drop nearly 100 points, defeating Henry Clay 93-85 on Thursday at home. Bruins Dorian Tisby and Antoine Darby both finished with career highs, scoring 34 points and 28 points, respectively. Both players were active on the glass as well, with Tisby grabbing six rebounds and Darby finishing with five.

Tyron Duncan and Delonta Wimberly each chipped in with 10 points and four assists to the winning effort as well. The win was Ballard’s second without Patterson, Wilson and Ford, and second since falling to Fern Creek in the Louisville Invitational Tournament. Ballard are next in action on Friday at Waggener.

Here are scores and stats from boys and girls basketball games around Louisville and the rest of the Commonwealth.

BOYS

BALLARD 93, HENRY CLAY 85

BALLARD (14-4)

Tyrese Duncan 3p; Kereion Douglas 2p, 5r; Tyron Duncan 10p, 4a, 3s; Dorian Tisby 34p, 6r; Antoine Darby 28p, 5r; Delonta Wimberly 10p, 4r, 4a; Orlando Higginbottom 3p, 4r, 3s; Jaylen Price 3p.

HENRY CLAY (9-9)

Quentyn Jackson 17p, 4r; Jalen Byars 5p; Ramond Jackson 1p; Jalen Williams 10p, 4r; Motaveon Bean 9p; Justin Mithell 19p, 6r; Warwick 3p; Andreus Green 21p, 5r.

7th Region All “A” Classic

at KCD

COLLEGIATE 82, ST. FRANCIS 51

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Titans (14-7) blew away the Wyverns (7-6) in the semifinal game of the All “A” Classic at KCD. Barrett Myers finished with 21 points, and Ryan McDaniel added 15 points for the Titans. Noah Sparks tallied 21 points

COLLEGIATE (14-7)

Barrett Myers 21p; Ryan McDaniel 15p; Nayaab Grewal 14p; Tyler McDaniel 11p; Eli Allen 5p; Parker Duff 5p; Alec Hertzman 4p; Tate Austin 2p; Hudson Good 2p; Topher Pirner 2p; Gray Weaver 1p.

ST. FRANCIS (7-6)

Noah Sparks 21p; James Sullivan 12p; Ahmad Moore 10p; TJ Richardson 4p; Bruce Hamilton 2p; James Risley 2p.

7th Region All “A” Classic

at KCD

KCD 90, WHITEFIELD ACADEMY 63

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Solomon Mathis exploded for 38 points to lead KCD (6-8) into the finals of the 7th Region All “A” Classic. With leading scorer JR Mathis in foul trouble early, Solomon Mathis took over. Whitefield (6-9) was led by Tyler Nauert with 14 points. KCD will take on Collegiate Friday night at 8:30 p.m. in the final.

WHITEFIELD ACADEMY (6-9)

Christian Judd 6p; Trevor Nauert 9p; Tyler Nauert 14p; Taylor Cash 8p; Andrew Harrod 3p; Brandon Blackwell 2p; Will Hedgespeth 2p; Hunter Collins 5p; Connor Emmitt 14p.

KCD (6-8)

Solomon Mathis 38p; JR Mathis 17p; Hayden Kraus 19p; Will Cox 3p; Justin Grissom 2p; Wilder Brice 1p; Cedric Cosby 2p; Connor Widman 5p; Sam Siefke 1p; Michael Collis 2p.

FRANKLIN CO. 77, ATHERTON 66

FRANKLIN, Ky. – Anthony Valentine tallied 25 points for the Flyers (9-12) to blow past the Rebels (7-13), 77-66. Diablo Stewart added 21 points for the Flyers. The Rebels had a nine 3-pointers as a team with Jordan Pulford recording three 3-pointers and 18 points.

ATHERTON (7-13)

Flynn Calnon 13p; Keion Bentley 2p; Abelson Barthelemy 7p; Ty Lauderdale 15p; Jordan Pulford 18p; Jastine Lado 9p; Josiah Price 2p.

FRANKLIN CO. (9-12)

Kyle Stivers 6p; Cayman Hubbard 4p; Ryan Staples 10p; Diablo Stewart 21p; Lee 8p; Anthony Valentine 25p; Brady Roberts 1p; Sidyen Leverity 1p; Pranay Mupparaju 1p.

GIRLS

TRIMBLE CO. 55, SOUTH OLDHAM 40

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Kentucky Wesleyan commit Kaylee Clifford scored 27 points to push Trimble Co. (12-3) past the host Dragons (13-6). South Oldham was able to cut the lead to single digits with four minutes remaining but could not get any closer. Peyton Herold led the way for South Oldham with 14 points.

TRIMBLE CO. (12-3)

Kaylee Clifford 27p; Shelbe Black 8p; Abby Ponder 8p; Bailey Duke 4p; Cheyenne Riddle 4p; Karli Tilley 4p..

SOUTH OLDHAM (13-6)

Peyton Herold 14p; Skyler Sahatjian 9p; Maggie Smith 7p; Lexi Bowlden 7p; Sydney Herold 3p.

FERN CREEK 56, ASSUMPTION 54

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Tigers (12-8) pulled out a 56-54 win against the Rockets (12-8) and were led by Alexis Smith, who scored 25 points. Nsasa Makando added 16 points for the Tigers. Samantha Babey led the Rockets with 16 points.

ASSUMPTION (12-8)

McKenna Schelb 3p; Abby McQueary 2p; Samantha Babey 16p; Jenna Calhoun 10p; Piper Gray 8p; Kristen Olinick 4p; Taylor Allen 11p.

FERN CREEK (12-8)

Nsasa Makando 16p; Maelyn Ridener 10p; Aliyah Stallard 2p; Alexis Smith 25p; Sierra Hancock 3p.

MOORE 53, SENECA 17

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Mustangs (11-4) cruised past the Redhawks (5-14), 53-17. Sage Blue led the Mustang pack with 13 points.

SENECA (5-14)

Ashanti Starks 5p; Cierra Riggs 2p; Breanna Anthony 2p; Alexis White 2p; Marie Ninimou 2p; Jamia Brightwell 4p.

MOORE (11-4)

Jonne Whitney 5p; Nicola Adams 11p; Asia Collins 2p; Takiya Adams 10p; Stacia Hayes 10p; Sage Blue 13p; Alexa Metcalf 2p.