Douglass and Bryan Station set for rematch with Amari Owens on points chase
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Douglass and Bryan Station renew rivalry; winner gains edge for 42nd District seed.
- Bryan Station guard Amari Owens nears Lexington scoring milestones amid team push.
- Lyon County boys and Covington Holy Cross girls claim All “A” Classic titles.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story had an incorrect points total and placement for Bryan Station guard Amari Owen’s rank among Lexington boys basketball’s all-time scorers. The numbers have been corrected to reflect his totals according to Bryan Station and KHSAA records as of Jan. 23.
There’s hope the deep freeze Lexington high school basketball has endured since last week’s winter storm breaks in time for the rescheduled rematch between No. 10 Frederick Douglass and No. 15 Bryan Station on the Northside.
Lexington’s hottest basketball rivalry at the moment is scheduled to tip off at Bryan Station at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The winner will have a leg up in the race for the 42nd District’s top tournament seed. Both teams have one district loss — Bryan Station a 63-60 overtime defeat at Douglass on Jan. 13 and Douglass in a stunning 65-63 upset at Henry Clay a week later.
Due to the prolonged school closings, Bryan Station (15-5, 3-1 in the 42nd) has been dormant since last week’s storm and won’t have another game on tap until Douglass comes calling.
Despite a light snow, Douglass got in Tuesday’s game at Sayre thanks to the Fayette County Public Schools’ rule that allows its teams to play road games despite their own facilities being closed. Douglass (11-6, 3-1) beat Sayre 55-44.
The Broncos had an off-campus practice Monday in preparation, their first time together since their Jan. 23 loss at No. 4 Madison Central.
“It was good to get in the gym with them,” Garvin said. “We couldn’t do too much. I didn’t want to overdo it, but we got in the gym and got up and down a little bit. Went over our game plan for Sayre. We’re just trying to keep them focused on (Sayre).”
Bryan Station has won three in a row since its setback against Douglass and has been juggling two storylines this season — its quest to repeat as 42nd District champions and senior point guard Amari Owens’ chase up the Lexington boys high school basketball all-time scoring chart.
Going into the Douglass game, Owens has 2,327 points, ranking him seventh among Lexington players. He’s passed such illustrious names as Bryan Station legend Jack Givens and Henry Clay 1984 Mr. Basketball Steve Miller.
With his seventh point in his next outing, he’ll pass Jackson Davis, Lafayette’s all-time leading scorer.
While Julius Berry’s old Lexington Dunbar record of 3,000 points is likely out of reach, Owens could catch Lexington Christian’s modern-day leader Kyle Rode at 2,517 points and surpass Paul Laurence Dunbar’s 2017 Mr. Basketball, Taveion Hollingsworth, at 2,495 points.
Owens has said in past interviews that he tries not to think about the points. The team goals matter more to the Eastern Kentucky commit. Bryan Station coach Champ Ligon said he believes Owens has been handling his side pursuit the right way.
“He’s doing a fantastic job of leading this team and getting his teammates involved,” Ligon said. “He’s been in the spotlight for so long, it can really go to your head. And I think he’s done just a fantastic job handling everything. And it’s not like the last two years where he was playing with older players. This year, besides Amari and Taeshawn (Adams), we’re very young and inexperienced.”
Before the winter storm canceled an entire week of games, it would have been feasible for Owens to hit another huge milestone in the Douglass game. But he would need 62 points against the Broncos on Thursday to break 1989 alum Mike Allen’s all-time Bryan Station record of 2,408 points.
“He’s scored 40-something on us one time. I hope he doesn’t get 62,” Garvin said, laughing. Owens scored 43 in a loss to the Broncos in last season’s Lexington Catholic holiday tournament finals. “We’re going to give a great effort to try to hold him under 62 points, but I’m not going to put it past the man. … If he gets hot, and he gets going, I don’t know about 62, but he can definitely put some math on the board.”
Boys No. 1 team changes once more
Madison Central’s hold on the No. 1 spot in the Kentucky Media Elite 16 boys basketball poll lasted a week.
The Indians dropped to No. 4 after falling 72-64 at Woodford County on Saturday in the Yellow Jackets’ Ed Stepp Classic. Woodford County junior Omari Jointer led all scorers with 28 points. Madison Central’s Jake Feldhaus scored 23 points to go with 10 rebounds.
Louisville’s St. Xavier returned to the No. 1 spot in this week’s poll. Male held the top spot in the first poll of 2026.
Lexington Catholic takes down No. 5 Clark
Lexington Catholic slipped from the Kentucky Media Elite 16 boys basketball for the first time this season on Tuesday and that night knocked off No. 5 George Rogers Clark in a 70-64 win at home.
The Knights (14-5) entered the fourth quarter trailing 53-50, but a 15-4 run that included an Everett Stuart 3-pointer, two buckets by Hank Woodall and a dunk by Max Meagher flipped the momentum to the hosts, who also made 11 consecutive free throws down the stretch. Woodall led LexCath with 18 points.
Clark (16-4) has only two other in-state losses, a 64-52 defeat to No. 3 Daviess County on Dec. 6 and a 94-66 setback to No. 4 Madison Central on Dec. 9.
All ‘A’ Classic champions
Lyon County defeated Caverna 49-46 on Sunday at the Owensboro Sportscenter to capture the boys All “A” Classic small-school state championship for the first time in program history, a feat the Lyons hadn’t been able to do even when they won the Boys’ Sweet 16 in 2024.
Lyons senior Bray Kirk earned MVP honors with 17 points to go with Nolan Coffman’s 16. Lyon County trailed Caverna 14-3 after one quarter.
In the girls finals, No. 14 Covington Holy Cross claimed its third All “A” Classic championship in the last four seasons with a 60-42 win over Owensboro Catholic on Sunday.
Alyssa Arlinghaus led the Indians with 21 points. Teammate Jai Johnson earned MVP honors, scoring 14 points with four rebounds and three steals.
Holy Cross defeated Lexington Christian 54-30 in Sunday morning’s semifinals.
Two more games set for Memorial Coliseum
Paul Laurence Dunbar and Lexington Christian will stage a girls-boys doubleheader in Memorial Coliseum on Friday.
The girls game tips at 6:30 p.m. The boys to follow at 8 p.m.
Bryan Station’s games against the Sayre girls and Scott County boys on Jan. 23 brought high school basketball back to Memorial for the first time since 2008.
University of Kentucky athletics officials have expressed a willingness to continue to bring high school teams to the historic venue in future seasons as its schedules allow.
This story was originally published February 4, 2026 at 6:15 AM.
