‘It gets better than this.’ Lexington’s No. 1 upsets state’s No. 1 for district title
Henry Clay finally got the bird off its back.
The Blue Devils defeated Scott County, 78-71, in the 42nd District championship game at home Friday night to win their first district title since 2016, which also was the last year they defeated the Cardinals. Scott County had won six straight against Henry Clay, which won its sixth straight overall.
Both teams previously locked up berths to the 11th Region Tournament by virtue of reaching the district finals. The outcome was especially sweet for Henry Clay — ranked No. 3 in the state in the most recent Cantrall Ratings — beyond earning a winners’ spot in the 11th Region bracket, the pairings for which will be drawn Saturday morning at Eastern Kentucky University. This year’s district winners in both the boys’ and girls’ 11th Region tournaments will get to host their first-round opponents, so the Blue Devils will open the postseason at home against either Madison Southern, Paul Laurence Dunbar or Woodford County, all of whom fell in their respective district finals on Friday.
“I hope it makes us hungry, cause it gets better than this,” Henry Clay Coach Daniel Brown said of Friday’s pivotal win. “I’ve been part of a region championship. I want to be part of a another one, and I like what the gold team’s doing right now.”
Brown before the game said the crowd at Henry Clay was one of the largest he’s seen in his time with the program.
“I’ve been here 17 years, and it was packed tonight,” Brown said. “This is what high school basketball is about. It was exciting. I’m just lucky to be a part of it.”
Scott County, the state’s No. 1 team entering the week and all season long, lost for the second Friday in as many weeks. The Cardinals (29-3) last Friday lost for the first time to a Kentucky opponent this season, 91-84 at Dunbar. They will open the postseason on the road at one of three destinations: Frankfort, Lexington Christian Academy or Madison Central.
Senior Keaston Brown and junior Marquis Mackey each scored 16 points to lead the Blue Devils. Brown had four rebounds, three assists and a steal.
Five Henry Clay players finished in double-figure scoring. Brown and Mackey were joined by Marques Warrick (12 points, five rebounds), Ramond Jackson (12 points, five boards, three assists and four steals) and Harris Hawkins (12 points, 12 boards).
Terrin Hamilton, a junior, led Scott County with 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Scott County shot 26 of 62 as a team (41.9 percent) while Henry Clay connected on 23 of its 50 tries (46 percent).
It was the second game back for Mr. Basketball finalist Michael Moreno, who until Wednesday had not played since suffering a foot injury in December. He ended the night with eight points, six rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal in 22 minutes.
This story was originally published February 22, 2019 at 10:28 PM.
