Clark rallies early, makes clutch plays late to outlast Douglass in top 10 clash
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- George Rogers Clark rallied from early deficit and beat Frederick Douglass 63-56.
- Malachi Ashford and Ryder Akins hit late shots and sealed Clark’s comeback.
- Douglass led by Tate Robinson’s 19 points. The Broncos next face Bryan Station.
Kentucky high school boys basketball’s No. 6 Frederick Douglass and No. 8 George Rogers Clark staged a top-flight Saturday matinee ahead of a slate of rivalry games in their respective districts this week.
Although Douglass led 10-0 in the game’s opening minutes, the Broncos trailed by as many as nine points twice in the second half.
Douglass roared back into the game in the fourth quarter with a run capped by senior Bellarmine commit DeMarcus Surratt’s layup to tie it up at 56-56 with about two minutes left.
But Clark’s clutch plays late sealed the slight upset, 63-56, at The Farm.
“We got off to a slow start, and we just knew we had to fight back,” said Clark senior point guard Malachi Ashford, who scored 17 points and knocked down one of Clark’s five fourth-quarter 3-pointers. “We just had to lock in and stop making the turnovers and making sure everybody’s crashing (the boards) and getting rebounds, just doing the small things to help us win.”
Clark took a 59-56 lead with 1:19 to play on a second-chance 3-pointer by Montez Gay. His go-ahead score was set up by teammate Amari Bartelson’s offensive rebound. Bartelson grabbed it and immediately fed it out to a wide-open Gay on the right wing.
Douglass coach Murray Garvin called timeout to set up the Broncos’ next possession, but a miscommunication on the inbounds play gave the ball directly to Ashford for an easy layup and a 61-56 lead with 1:06 to play.
Over the next 30 seconds, Douglass had four shots to try to close the gap, including three 3-point attempts, but none fell. Ashford set the final margin with two free throws on their next possession.
“We had a one possession game there and gave an easy turnover to help them extend the lead. But that’s why we schedule each other. We’re trying to get better. … Games like this help you,” Garvin said.
Clark steadies itself after early season losses
Clark (11-3) suffered back-to-back defeats to a pair of top 10 teams in December, a 64-52 loss at home to No. 5 Daviess County and a 94-66 blowout at the hands of No. 3 Madison Central.
“I think we’ve really matured. We took a couple of losses early, and it was a good thing for us,” Clark coach Josh Cook said. “It allowed us to be coaches. It allowed our kids opportunities to see what they need to do better.”
Cook called a timeout after Douglass jumped to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. His team responded by ending the quarter with a 15-14 lead.
“I think we kind of came out a little shocked. I wouldn’t say we weren’t ready, but it was like ‘Oh, crap. We’re here,’” said Clark’s Ryder Akins, a sophomore who scored five of his 17 points in the first quarter and nailed back-to-back 3-pointers in the fourth quarter that helped stem Douglass’ late rally.
Akins credited teammates Ashford and JaMylyn Johnson for setting him up perfectly for his fourth-quarter 3s. Johnson led the Cards with 18 points and scored nine during Clark’s run to a 40-31 lead in the fourth quarter.
Clark has two games against 40th District rivals this week — home against Bourbon County on Tuesday and at Montgomery County on Friday. Montgomery County knocked off Clark in the 10th Region finals last season on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
The Cards believe they have what it takes to win the 10th and return to the Boys’ Sweet 16 for the first time in three years.
“I feel like we have the team to do it,” Ashford said. “We’ve just got to stay together, keep playing hard and do the right things.”
Huge rivalry game Tuesday for the Broncos
The Broncos were led by Tate Robinson’s 19 points, which included five 3-pointers. Surratt added 13. Dakari Talbert had 10 off the bench.
Douglass (8-4) has 42nd District rival Bryan Station ahead on Tuesday. The Defenders (11-4) ranked No. 7 in the Herald-Leader’s preseason coaches poll and have won six straight after an up-and-down December. Last season, Bryan Station ended the Broncos’ five-year run of district titles with a thrilling, come-from-behind 59-56 finals win.
“Going into Tuesday, we needed a game like this,” Garvin said of Saturday’s loss. “I’m really interested to see how we respond in the next 72 hours, because one of the most dynamic players that we’re going to coach against is coming into our building in Amari Owens. We’ve got to be ready to play, and we will be ready to play, and I anticipate a great crowd.”
This week
Tuesday’s games
Bryan Station (11-4) at No. 6 Frederick Douglass (8-4), 7:30 p.m.
Bourbon County (9-6) at No. 8 George Rogers Clark (11-3), 7:30 p.m.
Friday’s games
Frederick Douglass at Scott County (8-5), 7:30 p.m.
George Rogers Clark at Montgomery County (7-5), 7:45 p.m.
This story was originally published January 10, 2026 at 8:32 PM.
