High school basketball: 11th Region tournament pairings set

Fans eager to catch a possible rematch between No. 2 Paul Laurence Dunbar and No. 3 Henry Clay won’t have to wait long if things go according to chalk in the first round of the 11th Region boys’ tournament, which begins Wednesday in Eastern Kentucky University’s Alumni Coliseum.

Dunbar, which defeated Lafayette on Friday night in the 43rd District championship, meets Madison Southern, the runner-up from the 44th District. Henry Clay, winner of the 42nd District, faces 41st District runner-up Woodford County. Both games will be played Thursday night.

The Bulldogs and Blue Devils split their two head-to-head meetings in the regular season. Dunbar won handily at home, 64-46, before Henry Clay turned the tables with a 66-63 overtime win on its own floor about a month later.

A top-25 team is a lock to get knocked out in the first round as No. 12 Madison Central and No. 14 Scott County face off Wednesday, preceding No. 18 Lafayette’s battle with Franklin County. The Flyers, who won the 41st District for the second straight season, lost to the Generals in the first round of the 11th Region tournament last year, 68-55.

One thing’s for sure: there will be a new 11th Region champion. Neither of last season’s finals participants, Bryan Station and Lexington Catholic, is in the field of eight. The Knights are out of the tournament for the first time since 2010 and only the second time since 1986.

Semifinals might decide title girls’ title

Last year’s 11th Region girls’ title game was decided in the final seconds as Franklin County claimed a 58-56 contest over Henry Clay.

This year’s title could be decided in the semifinals, where that pair is favored to meet this postseason. Franklin County must get over Madison Southern and Henry Clay past Paul Laurence Dunbar for it to happen, of course. Those four teams open the girls’ tournament on Monday at EKU.

Not to be discounted is Lafayette, the third-ranked team among those remaining in the 11th Region. The youthful Generals won the 43rd District and have developed quickly under Coach Allison Denton. They meet 41st District runner-up Western Hills in the first round on Tuesday.

Bryan Station, the runners-up from the 42nd District, has enough talent to make a dark horse run at the title. The Defenders will play Madison Central in the first round.

This story was originally published February 27, 2016 at 4:28 PM with the headline "High school basketball: 11th Region tournament pairings set."