At first glance the race to the Seventh Region girls basketball title appears to be deep, as four squads are ranked among the top 13 in the state in The Courier-Journal’s Litkenhous Ratings.
But the region clearly runs through Male.
The No. 3 Bulldogs completed a 25-2 regular season Friday with a 55-44 victory at No. 12 Manual. Male went 9-0 against Seventh Region competition this season, also defeating No. 7 Eastern 73-54 on Feb. 9. The Bulldogs did not face No. 13 Sacred Heart.
“They beat us, so, yeah, I think they’ve established themselves as the team to beat,” Manual coach Jeff Sparks said. “I think there are a lot of teams that can compete, but I think (Male) is the marked team.”
MORE COVERAGE | Picks from Jason Frakes, Litkenhous to win all 16 girls basketball regions
MORE COVERAGE | Pairings for all 64 girls basketball district tournaments
Male will face Brown at 7 p.m. Monday in a 26th District Tournament semifinal at Assumption.
District tournaments will run throughout the week, with champions and runners-up advancing to next week’s regional tournaments. The state’s 16 regional champions will advance to the St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA Sweet 16 set for March 9-13 at BB&T Arena in Highlands Heights, Ky.
Male won the Seventh Region title last season – its first since 1996 – and hasn’t missed a beat this season. The Bulldogs’ only two losses came to No. 2 Butler – 73-65 on Dec. 1 and 68-54 on Jan. 30 in the championship game of the Louisville Invitational Tournament.
The Bulldogs feature an impressive mix of size, speed and sharpshooting, led by 6-foot-2 senior I’Liyah Green (Cincinnati signee) and sophomore guards Emilia Sexton and Ciaja Harbison.
“What can you say about a 25-2 regular season and your only two losses are to Butler,” Male coach Champ Ligon Jr. said. “It’s hard to match that kind of regular season. … I think Eastern, Sacred Heart, Manual and us are all very capable of not only winning the Seventh Region but making a strong run in the state tournament.
“It’s going to be one big dog fight, but I really like my team.”
Manual finished 12-1 in regional play, beating Sacred Heart twice and Eastern once. Eastern was 7-2 in regional competition, defeating Sacred Heart but losing to Male and Manual. Sacred Heart went 7-3 against Seventh Region foes.
Here’s a look at three district tournaments to keep an eye on this week:
* No. 6 Murray likely will face Marshall County in Thursday’s Fourth District final at Calloway County. That could be a preview of the First Region final. Murray went 2-0 against Marshall County this season, winning 49-29 on Dec. 15 and 64-42 on Feb. 9.
* No. 17 Monroe County faces a tough postseason opener against Glasgow in Monday’s 15th District semifinals at Allen County-Scottsville. Monroe County was 2-1 against Glasgow during the regular season.
* No. 8 Mercy and No. 16 Bullitt East are expected to meet in Thursday’s 24th District final at Christian Academy. Bullitt East defeated Mercy 50-45 on Jan. 19.
Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.