City rival shocks one of state’s favorites to make Boys’ Sweet Sixteen
Taking on one of the hottest teams in boys’ high school basketball, Frederick Douglass didn’t waver.
Down seven at halftime, down by as many as 13 in both the third and fourth quarters, down by five with 1:15 left in regulation, and even down by four early in the second overtime — Douglass knew it could beat No. 3 Henry Clay.
The Broncos had done it before.
“We told ourselves we was going to start their season with an ‘L’ and end it with an ‘L,’” said guard DaShawn Jackson whose Broncos had already stunned a then-preseason top 10 Henry Clay team back in the Dec. 3 season opener for both teams.
Jackson and his Douglass teammates backed up the bold talk with another stunner, this time a 108-104 double-overtime victory Tuesday night in the boys’ 42nd District Tournament semifinals at Scott County High School that not only advanced the Broncos to the district finals and next week’s 11th Region Tournament, it also ended Henry Clay’s 18-game win streak and with it their postseason altogether.
“It’s just one of those games as a coach, you really hate to see anybody lose. Both teams played their hearts out,” said Douglass’s Kurt Young. “Both of us took hits. Both of us kept coming back. We were fortunate enough to be the last one standing. But our kids believed.”
Jackson led five Broncos in double figures with 40 points, including a hard-driving layup and foul shot that gave Douglass the lead for good, 105-102, with 1:07 to play in the second overtime.
“Our plan of attack was just get to the rim and if they don’t call fouls, finish the bucket,” said Jackson, whose team’s efforts put the Blue Devils in foul trouble late with three players carrying four fouls and another fouling out.
Coach Young hoped the aggressive strategy would put Henry Clay on its heels and make it tougher for them to play defense as intensely as they normally do. And it seemed to be working.
“And then our guys, I think got some confidence and started believing,” Young said. “Aiden Reid stepped up and made some unbelievable plays getting to the basket. Everybody really contributed.”
Reid had six points during the 14-5 run that pulled Douglass back into the game in the fourth quarter. His three-pointer cut it to 79-73 with just over three minutes left and then he got a bucket and foul on a drive that brought his team within two points, 84-82, with 1:03 in regulation.
“Everybody bought into the system and we played as a team tonight,” Jackson said.
Henry Clay, a team that took a number of losses in early December, righted its ship and had gotten on a roll. With February wins during their streak over top-10 teams John Hardin and Ballard, the Blue Devils climbed to No. 3 in Dave Cantrall’s Rating the State and No. 7 in the Associated Press poll heading into the postseason.
Marques Warrick, the KABC 11th Region Player of the Year and a Mr. Basketball candidate committed to Northern Kentucky, led the Blue Devils with 41 points on Tuesday night. Fellow seniors Marquis Mackey and Sebian Dillard added 18 and 13 points, respectively.
Warrick had a shot at the end of regulation that rimmed out. Mackey’s jumper at the end of the first overtime also missed.
“We had our chances,” Henry Clay Coach Daniel Brown said. “We had two good looks at the end of regulation and the end of overtime and give Douglass credit. They made plays down the stretch and made some shots.”
While Henry Clay (24-6) became one of the hottest teams in the state, Douglass (19-11) faltered as the season wore on, losing 10 of its last 19 games, including back-to-back losses last week to Bryan Station and then Lafayette. The Broncos’ overall Cantrall Ranking had slipped to 64th in the state. None of that matters now.
Young had only two words for his postgame locker-room talk: “Practice tomorrow.”
Douglass will face the winner of Wednesday’s 8 p.m. semifinal between Bryan Station (12-17) and Scott County (15-15). Station swept the Broncos during the regular season. Douglass took two out of three from the Cardinals.
Scott County girls roll
Malea Williams scored 25 points and Morgan DeFoor added 14 points and 11 assists as the top-seeded Scott County Cardinals defeated Sayre 83-45 in Tuesday’s first semifinal of the 42nd District Tournament.
Williams scored 21 of her points in the first half, including two three-pointers, to go along with her eight rebounds. Kenady Tompkins also reached double figures with 14 points.
Kylee Dennis and Sophie Richardson scored 16 and 12 points, respectively, to lead the Spartans.
On Friday night at 6, Scott County (25-6) faces the winner of Wednesday’s 6 p.m. semifinal between Bryan Station (11-18) and Henry Clay (12-15).
This story was originally published February 26, 2020 at 1:04 AM.
