St. Xavier survives scare from North Laurel to reach Boys’ Sweet 16 semifinals
Almost won’t get you very far at the UK HealthCare Boys’ Basketball Sweet 16. But North Laurel almost nabbed the stunner of this year’s state tournament.
The Jaguars couldn’t complete a second-half rally and fell 46-44 to St. Xavier in the quarterfinals Friday afternoon at Rupp Arena.
After Cooper Elza hit a 3-pointer to get North Laurel within 44-42 with 17 seconds to play, the Jaguars forced a turnover and got the ball to Reece Davidson in the backcourt.
The Liberty-bound senior had multiple options off the inbounds but immediately flowed into a gap toward the basket after getting past fellow Mr. Basketball finalist Jeremiah Jackson. Davidson altered his layup approach slightly in an attempt to draw a foul as St. X’s Jordan Jackson, a rangy defender but playing with four fouls, slid near to help.
There was minimal contact and Davidson’s shot fell off glass into the hands of his trailer, Jeremiah Jackson, who proceeded to hit two free throws to all but seal it for the Tigers. Corey Cunagin’s layup as time expired set the final score.
“I don’t think I was ever nervous going up there (to the free-throw line),” said Jeremiah, who didn’t attempt a free throw until the game’s final minute but sank all four he took. “ … The pressure wasn’t on me at all.”
St. Xavier, ranked No. 3 at the end of the regular season, is the highest-ranked team remaining in the tournament. The Tigers are considered by many the favorite to cut down the nets even before its convincing win over No. 2 Covington Catholic on Wednesday. St. X will face Grayson County in the 11 a.m. Saturday semifinals.
Though challenged, the Tigers never trailed. After North Laurel pulled within 37-36 with 5:39 to play, St. Xavier held the ball against a Jaguars zone and drained more than two minutes off the clock.
That decision elicited a chorus of boos in Rupp Arena but shortened the game to a point where St. X could more comfortably manage its lead and its foul trouble. Jordan Jackson and Connor Klein exited within seconds of each other after they picked up their fourth fouls less than two minutes into the final quarter.
St. X head coach Kevin Klein called a timeout with 3:47 to play and reinserted both of them into the game. Thirteen seconds into the ensuing possession, Jackson caught a lob from Chief Cameron for a dunk to extend St. X’s lead to 39-36. Connor made a free throw on the Tigers’ next trip down the floor.
Tigers sophomore Joshua Lindsay also hit two inside the final minute to help keep the Jaguars at bay. He and Connor each finished with eight points while Jeremiah and Jordan Jackson each had 10 to lead the Tigers. Cameron had seven points.
After making 12-of-18 from behind the 3-point line against CovCath, St. X went 2-for-11 on Friday.
“North Laurel certainly did not make it easy,” Kevin Klein said. “ … When you shoot the cover off the ball, it’s really hard to follow that same performance up.”
Davidson scored a game-high 15 and dished out three assists for North Laurel, which early on seemed overmatched. It trailed 12-4 after the first quarter but dug in enough to have a chance at the end.
But almost is just that.
“I told these guys if we were right there at the end, we can turn the crowd and that basket’s gonna get small on them (St. X),” North Laurel coach Nate Valentine said. “You get it to your best player with a chance to win the game and that’s all you can ask for. He’s carried us all year.”
This story was originally published March 20, 2026 at 4:00 PM.