Butler guard Teri Goodlett tries to block the shot of Bullitt East guard Lindsey Duvall in the KHSAA 6th Region Girls Basketball Championship. 04 March 2017
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Two players who will continue their careers at Kentucky colleges picked up the state’s top high school basketball honors Tuesday night.
Paul Dunbar High School’s Taveion Hollingsworth and Bullitt East’s Lindsey Duvall were named Kentucky’s Mr. and Miss Basketball winners during a ceremony at the Lexington Center’s Bluegrass Ballroom.
Hollingsworth, a 6-foot-2 guard who has signed with Western Kentucky University, had been considered the Mr. Basketball favorite since leading Paul Dunbar to the state title last year and earning Sweet 16 MVP honors.
Duvall, a 5-10 guard who has signed with the University of Louisville, was considered by many a co-favorite for Miss Basketball honors with Butler’s Jaelynn Penn, who led the Bearettes to the state title as a junior and took Sweet 16 MVP honors along the way. Penn has signed with Indiana University.
Hollingsworth and Duvall will wear the No. 1 jerseys when Kentucky’s All-Stars face Indiana in the states’ annual summer series. Game are scheduled June 10 in Indianapolis and June 11 at Central Hardin High School.
Hollingsworth averaged 28.3 points and 6.8 rebounds in leading the Bulldogs to a 21-9 record this season. They lost to Lexington Christian 68-64 in the semifinals of the 43rd District Tournament. Hollingsworth shot 55.1 percent from the field, 39.1 percent from 3-point range and 75.9 percent from the free-throw line.
In a loss to West Jessamine on Feb. 14, Hollingsworth scored 42 points and passed Bryan Station’s Mike Allen (2,408 points) as the all-time leading scorer in Lexington high school history. Hollingsworth finished his career with 2,495 points.
Duvall averaged 23.6 points and 8.3 rebounds this season as Bullitt East finished 27-8, falling to Butler 50-42 in the Sixth Region final. Duvall shot 47.8 percent from the field, 40.8 percent from 3-point range and 85.5 percent from the free-throw line.
Duvall missed all but seven games of her junior season after having a grape-sized tumor removed near her left knee in November of 2015. Duvall, who started playing for Bullitt East’s varsity team as a junior, finished her career with 2,957 points, tying with Leslie County’s Hillary Moore for 25th place in state history.
Other award winners Tuesday night were Sacred Heart girls basketball coach/athletic director Donna Moir (Kentucky All-Star Hall of Fame and Founders Coaching Award), Kentucky High School Athletic Association commissioner Julian Tackett (Kentucky All-Star Hall of Fame); former Fairdale boys basketball coach Stan Hardin (Ralph Beard Lifetime Achievement Award); Harlan basketball player Jordan Brock (Donna Murphy Award); and Harlan’s Noah Busroe (Wah Wah Jones Award).
This story will be updated.
Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.