Five things: Girls’ high school basketball’s top teams getting tested early
Holiday basketball tournaments mark an early proving ground for teams hoping to make a run to Rupp Arena in March and, this week, some of the state’s best girls’ teams took each other on to see what they’ve got and what they’ve got to work on.
In Lexington, Herald-Leader preseason No. 8 Clark County came out on top of a talented field taking part in the White, Greer & Maggard Holiday Classic at Lexington Catholic.
The gritty Cardinals defeated No. 15 Southwestern 62-61 in overtime of Tuesday’s championship game despite the Warriors jumping out to leads of nine points in the first quarter and eight points in the third. Southwestern shot 60 percent from the field in the first half. Clark nearly matched with 55 percent.
“We showed a lot of character, a lot of toughness,” Clark Coach Robbie Graham said. “We got behind and things weren’t going our way, but we kept grinding … Four games in four days, you know, mentally and physically it’s a grind. Playing such quality teams in such a quality tournament just helps prepare you for down the road.”
Ciara Byars, a 5-foot-11 freshman, led the Cardinals with 23 points and nine rebounds while older sister Brianna Byars, a 5-10 senior, chipped in 19 points, including the go-ahead free throw after a foul with 16.3 seconds left in OT.
Together with 5-foot-10 senior Tyra Flowers, who scored 18 points with eight boards, the Cardinals present difficult matchups for opponents that’s further complicated by Coach Graham’s trademark, physical man-to-man defense that he mixes up with some zone.
“They’re a hard-nosed team,” said Anderson County Coach Clay Birdwhistell, whose No. 2 Bearcats fell to Clark County 57-46 in the tourney’s quarterfinals. “They’ve got three or four kids that are huge, I mean ripped, like Greek goddesses running up and down the floor. If we don’t compete and show some toughness, teams like that will just run over us, and they did.”
Ciara Byars is listed on the Clark roster at 5-foot-8, but it’s clear on the court that Brianna’s little sister isn’t littler any longer.
“It probably started over quarantine. We saw it progressing day-by-day,” Brianna said, smiling. “We were all like, ‘Yeah, I don’t think we’re the same height no more.’ She’s got me beat.”
Clark County’s only stumble in December came in a 46-45 loss at Tates Creek on Dec. 7. They’ll head to Warren Central for a tournament next week before entering 10th Region play where they are favorites to earn a trip back to the Sweet 16 after a one-year absence.
Sacred Heart rolling through tough schedule
Preseason No. 1 Sacred Heart has been living up to the hype, so far, with a perfect 11-0 record that included a 69-59 win over No. 3 Bullitt East in the Queen of the Commonwealth Tournament championship game on Wednesday on the Chargers’ home floor.
Heralded 5-foot-11 freshman Zakiyah Johnson, a Kentucky target, has been averaging 17.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game to lead the Valkyries and had 18 points and nine rebounds against the Chargers, who feature 6-foot-6 Bellarmine commit Gracie Merkle.
Merkle had 28 points on 12 of 15 shooting with 17 rebounds, a terrific outing for her, but not enough to overcome the Valkyries’ balance.
Bullitt East marked the sixth ranked team Sacred Heart has knocked off in the first month of play with routs of No. 15 Southwestern (74-43), No. 17 Manual (66-45) and No. 4 Bardstown (81-60) and tighter games against No. 6 Bowling Green (52-45) and No. 7 Notre Dame (63-50).
But scarier still, Sacred Heart’s early win streak came despite not having Sweet 16 MVP Josie Gilvin in the lineup for three games due to a minor injury.
The Valkyries will test their mettle against some of the nation’s best next week at the Naples Holiday shootout. Their next home game comes Jan. 8 against No. 18 North Laurel.
Future Kentucky teammates square off
The consolation bracket at LexCath’s tourney offered a look at some recent Kentucky signees.
Amiya Jenkins’ Anderson County team defeated Cassidy Rowe’s Shelby Valley squad 59-43 on Monday. The two had played with each other as AAU teammates a few years ago, but they had never faced each other in high school competition.
“It was really fun, and I just can’t wait to play with her next year,” said Jenkins, who led all scorers with 23 points. “She goes right at you and fights hard. She’s a great player.”
Shelby Valley also lost to No. 22 Mercy, but Rowe, who scored 12 points against No. 2 Anderson, kept the Lady Kats’ December schedule in perspective.
“I think this tournament has been great for us,” she said. “We took our first two losses down here, but we’re playing some great competition. … It’s not about our record, for us. … We want to play the best competition to make us better in the long run.”
Jenkins announced her commitment this fall, virtually on top of signing day last month. Rowe committed to Kentucky in eighth grade, but the long haul that included two knee operations was worth it.
“It never really hit me until signing day,” Rowe said. “It really became real when I signed those papers. I’m really going to be playing for Kentucky, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Mercy welcomes heralded freshman Leah Macy
Another top Kentucky recruiting target, 6-2 freshman forward Leah Macy, has been settling in nicely at Mercy after transferring in just a week before the season started. She began the school year at Bardstown.
“We came into the season with four practices (with me) before the first game, so that was rough, you know. We had two losses,” said Macy, whose team got their third loss against Clark County, 77-59, in Monday’s LexCath tourney semifinals.
Mercy rebounded with a 51-40 win over No. 20 Cooper in Lexington on Tuesday.
“This week, this tournament, we’ve played a lot of really good teams that challenged us … and allowed us to really grow and grow off the court by hanging with each other,” Macy said.
Macy had a breakout varsity eighth-grade season at Elizabethtown before transferring to Bardstown, but she told the Courier Journal earlier this month that she discovered Bardstown “wasn’t a fit for me. I had to find somewhere that was a fit.”
First-year Mercy coach Nick Cann said it has been an adjustment for everyone. His team is adjusting to him and they all are adjusting to having Macy, but he couldn’t have hoped for a better response.
“We have a locker room full of great kids,” Cann said. “They welcomed her in with open arms. Credit to her, too, because she’s made it a point to fit in and to be a part of the team. They support each other.”
Adding one of the top freshmen in the nation (Macy is one of 25 players on the 2025 HoopGurlz ESPNW Watch List) shouldn’t hurt too much. Macy led the team with 20 points and 10 rebounds against Cooper and had 23 points with 15 rebounds against Shelby Valley. She’s averaging a double-double.
“You’ve just got to play,” Cann said. “The more games you can get in, the more comfortable everybody gets playing with each other — knowing where they’re supposed to be and knowing what they’re supposed to do. The more we can get in, the better.”
Around the 11th Region
Berea has gotten off to an 8-0 start with an impressive 48-34 win over last season’s 11th Region runner-up, Lafayette. Madison Howell, a 6-foot senior center, leads the Pirates with 17.1 points per game.
Defending 11th Region champion Franklin County (11-1) fell in the opening round of the Queen of the Commonwealth tournament to No. 21 McCracken County, but it won out in the consolation bracket, highlighted by a 67-64 win over No. 14 Russell on Wednesday.
Despite the loss to Berea, Lafayette (10-1) has looked strong with wins over 43rd District rivals Tates Creek and Paul Laurence Dunbar and a sweep through Madison Central’s holiday tournament capped by a 41-27 win in the finals on Tuesday. Anaya Brown (19.7 points per game) leads four players averaging double figures for the Generals.
Frederick Douglass (7-2) has gotten a jump on the 42nd District with a sweep of Scott County, Henry Clay, Sayre and Bryan Station in the first two weeks of the season. Niah Rhodes, Ayanna-Sarai Darrington and Allison Wallace are all averaging better than 13 points per game.
