By Marc Hardin
NKyTribune contributor
Dixie Heights continued its stunning upset run at the 9th Region girls basketball tournament with a 42-39 semifinal win over state-ranked Highlands on Saturday at Northern Kentucky University’s BB&T Arena.
Three days after knocking off top-ranked Conner in the opening round, the Colonels took down No. 6 Highlands with a solid shooting effort and a 19-2 third-quarter scoring run that transformed an 11-point Highlands lead into a six-point Dixie Heights advantage.
“At halftime we were pretty low, but a nice talk in the locker room got us fired up,” senior Grace Perry said of the Colonels’ seven-point halftime deficit. Dixie scored just two points in the second quarter. “Then the 3s started falling. It was amazing.”
Dixie Heights shot 47.1 percent (16-for-34) from the field and 66.7 percent (6-for-9) from 3-point range against one of the state’s top shooting teams.
Highlands struggled uncharacteristically while shooting 27.3 percent (12-for-44) overall and 26.1 percent (6-for-23) from long range. The Bluebirds entered play shooting 47 percent from the field and 37 percent on treys.
The Colonels’ victory avenged a one-point regular-season loss to Highlands and set up a Monday date with defending regional champion Ryle in the 7:30 p.m. championship game. The winner advances to the state tournament.
“Great win today,” said Dixie Heights coach Joel Steczynski. “I think we match up well with Highlands because of our athleticism inside with Kaylee McGinn and Madelyn Lawson. And then we have girls like Grace Perry and Celia Pelfrey who can shoot the three. Then you add Sydney Lockard who can pass the ball.”
Perry led the Colonels (22-10) with 13 points. She converted three 3-point baskets, two during the team’s fateful 21-8 third quarter run. Lawson added 10 and Laci Reinhart scored eight.
Piper Macke paced Highlands (29-5) with 14 points. Zoie Barth was next with nine, 10 below her season average, in her last game in a Bluebirds uniform.
Highlands, ranked third in the final local coaches poll, led 28-17 with 6:24 remaining in the third quarter. Dixie Heights, ranked sixth locally, went on a 12-0 run with Perry and Reinhart each getting a pair of 3-pointers to take a 29-28 lead.
After a basket by Macke returned the lead to the Bluebirds, Dixie Heights ended the quarter with a 7-0 run, getting a 3-pointer from Lockard for a 36-30 lead.
Highlands pulled to within 42-39 and had possession with 13.8 seconds left, but a last-second 3-point shot from the left corner fell short, sending the Colonels into a screaming celebration.
Dixie Heights stopped Highlands’ 15-game winning streak and beat the Bluebirds for the first time in 12 years. The Colonels are in the regional final for the first time since 1992, the last year they won the regional crown.
“We feel so good right now,” Perry said. “Everybody’s just really happy.”
DIXIE HEIGHTS 13 2 21 6 — 42
HIGHLANDS 17 5 8 9 — 39
DIXIE HEIGHTS (22-10): Perry 4 2 13, Lawson 4 2 10, Reinhart 3 0 8, Lockard 3 0 7, McGinn 2 0 4. Totals: 16 4 42.
HIGHLANDS (29-5): Macke 4 4 14, Barth 3 3 9, O’Hara 1 2 5, Hinegardner 1 0 3, Jansen 1 0 3, Hayes 1 0 3, Buecker 1 0 2. Totals: 12 9 39.
3-point goals: H — Macke 2, Jansen, O’Hara, Hinegardner, Hayes. DH — Perry 3, Reinhart 2, Lockard.
Ryle 51, Notre Dame 34
It took Ryle 26 years to win its first 9th Region girls basketball championship. On Saturday, the Raiders put themselves in position to win their second consecutive title with a 51-34 come-from-behind win over pesky Notre Dame in the second game of the semifinal doubleheader at BB&T Arena.
Ryle is in the regional final for the third time in four years under coach Katie Haitz, but Notre Dame did its best to prevent it. The Pandas bolted to a 7-0 lead and led 11-5 after one quarter. They were up 23-17 at halftime.
“We have that experience that helped us pull it out,” Raiders senior Lauren Schwartz said. “And I’m glad we pulled it out.”
The battle-tested Raiders, who have played in 18 tournament games this season, remained undaunted at the early deficit and got back into it with a 15-5 third-quarter scoring advantage that included a 14-0 run. The Pandas had taken a nine-point lead earlier in the quarter.
The key baskets for the Raiders (28-5) were back-to-back 3-pointers by Maddie Scherr in the quarter’s final minute that put the Raiders ahead 32-28. The Pandas didn’t convert a field goal in the quarter until 2:08 remained and were held to six points.
Scherr hit another basket in the opening minutes of the fourth for a 35-28 advantage. A basket by Schwartz pushed the lead to 12 at 40-28.
“We’ve been in positions before where we were down like that,” Haitz said. “It was a little tough at the beginning. Maddie wasn’t 100 percent (with an upset stomach) and we took a while to get her going. That took us out of our normal rotation. But the girls adjusted well and stayed with it, and I thought our press worked wonders.”
Schwartz led all scorers with 20 points. Scherr scored 13 and so did Notre Dame senior Danielle Rennekamp. Brie Crittendon added nine for Ryle, ranked fourth in the state and second locally.
Haitz hopes for similar results Monday night against Dixie Heights in a rematch. The Raiders defeated the Colonels 72-57 on Jan. 4 in their only previous meeting this season.
“The girls are really excited by the opportunity to win another regional championship,” Haitz said. “And I’m excited for them.”
NOTRE DAME 11 12 5 6 — 34
RYLE 5 12 15 19 — 51
RYLE (28-5): Schwartz 6 8 20, Scherr 4 3 13, Crittendon 2 4 9, McGregor 2 0 4, Johnson 1 1 3, Douthit 1 0 2. Totals 16 16 51.
NOTRE DAME (20-13): Rennekamp 4 3 13, Feldman 4 0 9, Bradshaw 1 5 7, Aytes 1 1 3, McKnight 1 0 2. Totals: 11 9 34.
3-point goals: R — Scherr 2, Crittendon. ND — Rennekamp 2, Feldman.
8th Region semifinal games
In the 8th Region girls semifinal games on Saturday, Simon Kenton defeated Anderson County, 49-41, and Collins knocked off Walton-Verona, 63-57. The winners will meet in the regional championship game at 7 p.m Monday at Owen County High School.
The regional final was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but the Kentucky High School Athletic Association had it changed so it would not conflict with the start of the boys state basketball tournament. The semifinal games were then moved from Monday to Saturday,
This is the seventh consecutive year that Simon Kenton has made it to the regional final. The Pioneers won regional championships in 2018, 2017 and 2015.
Regional tournament schedules
9TH REGION GIRLS AT BB&T ARENA
Monday
Championship game: Dixie Heights (22-10) vs. Ryle (28-5), 7:30 p.m.
8TH REGION GIRLS AT OWEN COUNTY H.S
Monday
Championship game: Simon Kenton (21-11) vs. Collins (22-12), 7 p.m.
10TH REGION GIRLS AT MONTGOMERY COUNTY H.S.
Monday
Harrison County (25-7) vs. Mason County (19-12), 6
Scott (23-10) vs. George Rogers Clark (22-10), 7:45 p.m.
Tuesday
Championship game, 7 p.m.