In what is becoming a common occurrence in recent years, the girls’ Second Region basketball winner will face another western Kentucky school at the Sweet 16.
The Second Region drew the First Region at Friday’s draw held at the Kentucky High School Athletic Association headquarters in Lexington. The game will be played at Rupp Arena in Lexington on Thursday, March 13 with the time to be announced once the region winners are known.
It’s the second time in six years Regions 1 and 2 have drawn each other in the first round. The last time was in 2020 when Henderson County and Marshall County were scheduled to meet in the first round – which was the same day as the statewide and national COVID shutdown. The 2020 Sweet 16 wasn’t played due to the pandemic.
Henderson County has represented the Second Region for the past six years. In four of those seasons, the Lady Colonels played a school from either Region 1 or Region 3 at some point in the bracket.
Henderson defeated Owensboro in last year’s first round and advanced to the state semifinals in 2021 and 2023. In 2021, they were defeated by Marshall County after a first-round win over Apollo. In 2023, it was a loss to McCracken County that ended Henderson’s season.
Henderson County (22-4) is the top-ranked team in the region according to the KHSAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) which factors in strength of schedule but not margin of victory. The Lady Colonels are 9-0 against region schools with an average margin of victory of 19 points against those non-district region opponents.
Henderson County has won 56 of its last 57 games against regional opposition with the only loss in that span coming to Christian County in overtime last year.
Christian County is No. 4 in the region RPI, slightly behind Crittenden County and Lyon County.
Henderson County defeated Christian County 47-40 on Dec. 12. The Lady Colonels beat Lyon County 66-49 on Feb. 1 and handed Crittenden County a 70-60 loss on Thursday.
The Second Region Tournament begins March 3 at Christian County High School.
Graves County (23-2) is the No. 1 team in Region 1 according to the KHSAA RPI. One of their two losses came to Christian County on Dec. 13.
Calloway County (21-5) and Marshall County (20-6) are also expected to challenge for the region title with Mayfield and McCracken County considered longshots.
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