Top 10 showdown: Clark too much early, too clutch late against Douglass
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- George Rogers Clark survived Frederick Douglass rally, winning 70-67 at The Farm.
- Douglass outscored Clark 29-16 to get back in the game; Jaelee Knowles had 29 points.
- Clark’s depth and guard play by helped seal the victory.
Two of the favorites to be playing in the Girls’ Sweet 16 on the second Saturday in March staged a classic showdown on the third Saturday in December as Herald-Leader preseason No. 2 George Rogers Clark held off a furious rally from No. 5 Frederick Douglass for a 70-67 Douglass Holiday Showcase win at The Farm.
The Cardinals, last season’s state runner-up and the four-time defending 10th Region champions, looked every bit a state title contender early as their four-guard offense scorched Douglass in the first quarter with a flurry of fast-break buckets and 3-pointers that turned an 11-10 margin at the 5:15 mark into a 29-12 lead less than three minutes later.
But Douglass, the defending 11th Region champions with every player back from the squad that reached the state semis last season, weathered the assault and battled back to take a 62-61 lead over the Cards with 2:38 to play in the game. Standout junior Jaelee Knowles, last season’s Lexington player of the year, helped key the comeback with 29 points.
Saturday’s game was a rematch of last season’s state semifinals contest that Clark won 75-52 with a similar first half blitz Douglass could not answer.
Although 10 consecutive missed free throws down the stretch doomed the Broncos’ upset hopes this time, Douglass coach Daryl Moberly’s squad likely proved something to itself and the rest of the state.
“I know we’ve got it,” Moberly said. “It’s just a matter of us executing and valuing the basketball more.”
Douglass trailed 45-33 at half, but outscored Clark 29-16 over the next 12-plus minutes of play as the Broncos created turnovers and got clutch 3-pointers from Reagan Gregonis and Mia Waide during the rally.
Gregonis’ 3-pointer off an offensive rebound cut Clark’s lead to 59-57 with about four minutes to play. A few trips later, Waide’s 3-pointer brought Douglass within 61-60. A trap at halfcourt yielded a Knowles steal and fast-break bucket for Peighton Okorley that gave Douglass a brief 62-61 lead with 2:38 left. To keep pace, Douglass needed to make free throws, however. And they could not. Waide finished with 11 points. MK Bennett also reached double figures with 10 points.
“Of course, free throws killed us tonight,” Moberly said. “But we’ve got to put plays together consistently. You can’t play one or two plays and then take a couple of plays off. I think that’s what we were doing in the first half.”
Clark had no problem stringing plays together early despite an 11-day layoff between games. Sophomore Kyleigh Chestnut, scored 13 of her team-high 22 points in the first, including three 3-pointers. Senior Robert Morris commit Teigh Yeast contributed 10 of her 17 points in the first frame. Yeast praised her young teammate’s development in the offseason.
“She’s been big this year — shooting the ball, getting to the rim, defensively,” Yeast said. Chestnut averaged 7.2 points per game as a freshman. “It’s really fun to see her grow. And she’s only a sophomore, so she’s only going to get better.”
Combined with junior Cincinnati commit Kennedy Stamper and the return of Anaya Chestnut, Kyleigh’s older sister, from injury, Clark showed how devastating its high-pressure man-to-man defense and full-throttle style can be. Anaya Chestnut scored seven points. Eighth grader Eliyah Strode, the only Clark starter listed at forward, chipped in five, including three critical free throws down the stretch.
“We do what we preach. We came in, and we played hard,” said Stamper, who scored eight of her 15 points in the fourth quarter and provided a fast-break assist to Kyleigh Chestnut for a layup that put Clark up 67-62 with 1:14 to play. “It wasn’t our best game, but … we were able to get back and get the ball movement and make some crucial plays and make free throws at the end of the game.”
Stamper, one of two Herald-Leader first team all-state underclassmen last season, has been Clark’s starting point guard since she was a seventh grader. Saturday, she played more as a combo-guard with Anaya Chestnut as the team’s primary ball-handler. The Chestnuts, Yeast and Stamper each created fast-break opportunities and have the ability to drive and shoot 3-pointers. Clark coach Robbie Graham went 10 deep into his bench and still has standout Franklin County transfer Logan Kennedy in reserve awaiting clearance to return to play after a knee injury late last season.
“We want to play with that intensity for 32 minutes and use our depth,” Graham said. “We definitely needed that start. I think fatigue set in a little bit mentally and physically. We started making some crucial mistakes. Give (Douglass) all the credit, though, they caused a lot of our mistakes.”
Douglass (4-2) has now faced No. 2 Clark (4-0) and No. 3 Assumption (4-1). The Broncos lost 67-35 at Assumption on Dec. 9. They’ll play No. 1 Sacred Heart (7-2) on Feb. 9 at St. Xavier in Louisville.
Douglass Holiday Showcase
At The Farm, Frederick Douglass High School
SATURDAY’S GAMES
- No. 2 George Rogers Clark 70, No. 5 Frederick Douglass 67
- No. 19 Ryle 53, Madison Southern 46
SUNDAY’S GAMES
- No. 6 Simon Kenton 44, No. 18 Butler 30
- Indian Hill (Cincinnati) 67, Madison Southern 46
- George Rogers Clark 48, Ryle 45
MONDAY’S GAMES
- Madison Southern vs. Simon Kenton, 11 a.m.
- Ryle vs. Indian Hill (Cincinnati), 12:30 p.m.
- Butler vs. Frederick Douglass, 2 p.m.
This story was originally published December 21, 2025 at 10:35 AM.
