Thanks to St. Elizabeth Healthcare Sports Medicine for sponsoring our girls’ high school basketball coverage this season. See all of our girls’ basketball stories here and watch for state tournament coverage March 9-13 from BB&T Arena on the campus of Northern Kentucky University.
By Terry Boehmker
NKy Tribune sports reporter
The top two teams in the final Northern Kentucky boys’ and girls’ high school basketball coaches polls drew into opposite brackets for the 9th Region tournaments at Northern Kentucky University’s BB&T Arena.
Top-ranked Holmes is in the lower bracket and No. 2 Ryle is in the upper bracket for the girls’ regional tournament that gets under way Monday. Barring any upsets, those teams will meet in the championship game to decide this year’s representative in the girls’ state tournament that will be played at NKU for the first time.
Holmes (25-4) has a perfect record against Northern Kentucky opponent this season, which includes a 41-37 win over Ryle on Dec. 11. That was one of 14 games that the Bulldogs held their opponent to 41 points or less with their intense pressure defense.
Ryle (22-6) has a veteran team with four seniors in the starting lineup and three more coming off the bench. They’ve played so well together that the Raiders have won most of their games by double-digit margins this season.
The top contenders in the 9th Region boys’ tournament, No. 1 Covington Catholic and No. 2 Newport Central Catholic, are also in opposite brackets going into Wednesday’s first-round games.
CovCath (26-6) won the regional championship the last two years and established itself as the favorite once again by winning its last 15 games. During the regular season, the Colonels beat the other three teams on their side of the bracket by margins of 20 points or more.
NewCath (25-4) also has a 3-0 record against the teams on its side of the bracket. The Thoroughbreds also gained a lot of tournament experience by winning five of six games in the All “A” Classic small-school playoffs earlier this season.
Teams from four other Northern Kentucky high schools will be competing in other regional tournments this week. Simon Kenton and Walton-Verona earned berths in the 8th Region boys’ and girls’ playoffs. Campbell County and Scott have teams in both the boys’ and girls’ 10th Region bracket.
Here are schedules for all of the regional tournaments involving Northern Kentucky teams:
Boys regional tournament schedules
9th REGION AT NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY
Wednesday – Upper bracket
Conner vs. St. Henry, 6:30 p.m.
Covington Catholic vs. Newport, 8 p.m.
Friday – Lower bracket
Newport Central Catholic vs. Cooper, 6:30 p.m.
Dixie Heights vs. Holy Cross, 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 6
Upper bracket semifinal game, 1 p.m.
Lower bracket semifinal game, 2:30 p.m.
Monday, March 7
Championship game, 7 p.m.
10th REGION AT MONTGOMERY COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
Wednesday – Upper bracket
Campbell County vs. Mason County, 6 p.m.
Paris vs. Harrison County, 7:45 p.m.
Thursday – Lower bracket
Pendleton County vs. Montgomery County, 6 p.m.
Scott vs. Augusta, 7:45 p.m.
Monday, March 7
Upper bracket semifinal game, 6 p.m.
Lower bracket semifinal game, 7:45 p.m.
Tuesday, March 8
Championship game, 7 p.m.
8th REGION AT HENRY COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
Wednesday – Upper bracket
Simon Kenton vs. Collins, 6 p.m.
Owen County vs. South Oldham, 7:45 p.m.
Thursday – Lower bracket
Oldham County vs. Henry County, 6 p.m.
Walton-Verona vs. Anderson County, 7:45 p.m.
Monday, March 7
Upper bracket semifinal game, 6 p.m.
Lower bracket semifinal game, 7:45 p.m.
Tuesday, March 8
Championship game, 7 p.m.
Girls regional tournament schedules
9th REGION AT NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY
Monday – Upper bracket
Highlands vs. Holy Cross, 6:30 p.m.
Ryle vs. St. Henry, 8 p.m.
Tuesday – Lower bracket
Holmes vs. Newport, 6:30 p.m.
Dixie Heights vs. Conner, 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 5
Upper bracket semifinal game, 12 p.m.
Lower bracket semifinal game, 1:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 6
Championship game, 6 p.m.
10th REGION AT CAMPBELL COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL
Monday – Upper bracket
Clark County vs. St. Patrick, 6 p.m.
Campbell County vs. Harrison County, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday – Lower bracket
Mason County vs. Bourbon County, 6 p.m.
Scott vs. Nicholas County, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 4
Upper bracket semifinal game, 6 p.m.
Lower bracket semifinal game, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 5
Championship game, 7 p.m.
8th REGION AT SHELBY COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
Monday – Upper bracket
Trimble County vs. Gallatin County, 6:30 p.m.
Walton-Verona vs. Anderson County, 8 p.m.
Tuesday – Lower bracket
Owen County vs. Oldham County, 6:30 p.m.
Simon Kenton vs. Collins, 8 p.m.
Friday, March 4
Upper bracket semifinal game, 6:30 p.m.
Lower bracket semifinal game, 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 5
Championship game, 7 p.m.