11TH REGION GIRLS HOOPS: Central, Southern set for postseason rematches

Mar. 3—The Lady Indians (18-11) and Lady Eagles (20-10) will face postseason rematches with familiar opponents on Monday in the opening round of the 11th Region Tournament.

Madison Southern is set to take on Franklin County (26-6) in Frankfort, while Madison Central plays host to Great Crossing (12-18) in Richmond.

Both games are set for 7 p.m.

Other first-round games on Monday include Henry Clay (21-10) at Tates Creek (18-13) and Lafayette (18-13) at Frederick Douglass (21-10).

The semifinals of the tournament are scheduled for Thursday at Dunbar High School, while the title game on Saturday in Lexington.

Southern and Franklin County have met in the 11th Region Tournament four times in the past 10 years. The Lady Flyers won each of those games, including a 37-28 victory in the 2022 semifinals.

Central has faced Great Crossing four times in the past five seasons, including in the opening round of the 2020 11th Region Tournament. The Lady Warhawks won that postseason showdown, 59-44.

Central claimed its second-straight 44th District Tournament title with a 56-49 win over Madison Southern on Friday at Alumni Coliseum.

The Lady Indians hit five three-pointers in the first quarter to build an early lead. Central was 8-of-15 from long range and was 14-of-23 from the free throw line, including an 8-of-8 performance by junior guard Brittany Campbell.

Junior Nataya Strader and Campbell both had 17 points, while Cameryn Ridderikhoff, also a junior, had 14 points and six rebounds.

Ridderikhoff and Campbell hit three three-pointers each.

Strader leads the Lady Indians in scoring (13.3) and is second on the team in rebounding (4.1). Ridderikhoff is averaging 11.1 points a game and has hit a team-best 35 three-pointers.

Great Crossing had a four-game winning streak snapped by Franklin County last week in the 41st District Tournament. The Lady Warhawks were handed a 64-48 loss by the Lady Flyers.

Senior forward/guard Ava Schureman had 10 points and five points in the title game. Great Crossing shot just 31.5 percent from the field and was 5-of-19 from three-point range.

Senior guard Olivia Tierney leads the Lady Warhawks in scoring this season (11.9), while junior forward Kennedy Harrison is pulling down a team-best 12.1 boards a game.

Central won the only regular-season meeting with Great Crossing this season. The Lady Indians earned a 75-59 victory on Dec. 16 in Georgetown. Campbell had 26 points and Ridderikhoff added 22 points.

Southern had won six-straight games before falling in the district title game last week.

The Lady Eagles had three players selected to the all-region team — sophomore guard Hadley French (first-team), along with sophomore guard Laci Sandlin and senior forward Bailey Hensley (honorable) mention — and are among the state leaders in field goal and free throw shooting percentage, in addition to team defense (43.6 — 48th).

On the season, the Lady Eagles are hitting 38.8 percent of their three-point attempts (3rd in the state).

French leads the state in three-point shooting, hitting 44.0 percent from three-point range (95-of-216), while averaging 16.3 points a game.

Franklin County rolled to its 11th consecutive 41st District Tournament title last week. The Lady Flyers out-scored their two opponents 132-66.

Franklin County will carry a 13-game winning streak into the 11th Region Tournament.

The Lady Flyers are 16th in the state in scoring (61.8 ppg), despite having only one player averaging double figures — junior guard Leia Hogan (10.9). Six others — including senior forward Rachel Shropshire (9.7), junior forward Juliana Frazee (9.6, 7.0 rebounds), junior forward/guard Madison Jackson (7.6) and sophomore guard Logan Kennedy (6.9) — have scored more than 180 points on the season.

The Lady Flyers are eighth in the state in field goal percentage (47.6) and three-point percentage (37.3).

Franklin County has won eight-straight against Southern. The Lady Eagles last win the rivalry was in 2002.