Who's the best Northern Kentucky girls basketball team? Enquirer makes case for 6 teams

Northern Kentucky features some of the best girls basketball in the Bluegrass. Holy Cross and Ryle have broken through to win state championships in the last 10 years. Notre Dame was the runner-up in 2013. Maddie Scherr (Ryle), Sydney Moss (Boone County) and Erica Hallman (Holmes) have all won the prestigious Ms. Basketball award sine the turn of the century.

As the regular season winds down, here are six teams capable of doing damage in the postseason and adding their names to the record books.

The teams are listed in alphabetical order.

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Cooper Jaguars (16-3)

Best wins: 68-56 over Owensboro Catholic; 50-38 over McCracken County; 59-42 over Meade County; 64-47 over Ashland Blazer; 74-53 over Pulaski County

Pros and cons: Head coach Justin Holthaus has perfected the formula that has led the Jaguars to the past two state tournaments: a top-notch schedule and a premier defense. Cooper is 9-1 this season against teams in the top 15 or receiving votes in the statewide media poll. The Jaguars are allowing 43 points per game and won the Queen of the Commonwealth with an average margin of victory of 16.8 points. When they get on a roll, watch out. They've won 11 games this season by at least 15 points.

"There's gonna be nights where we don't shoot it well, but we've got to make sure we're consistent on the defensive end," Holthaus said.

Cooper's three losses have come by five, nine and 12 points. Against Sacred Heart and Purcell Marian, it couldn't quite make the winning plays in the fourth quarter. After playing 13 games in just under a month, the Jaguars' fatigue started to show against Ryle. With a couple scheduling gaps toward the end of January, they should get the necessary rest to finish the regular season on a winning streak.

Upcoming schedule: Jan. 20 vs. Pickerington Central; Feb. 1 vs. Simon Kenton; Feb. 3 at Notre Dame

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Highlands Bluebirds (11-5)

Best wins: 48-41 over Conner; 58-43 over Assumption; 45-40 over Scott

Pros and cons: The Bluebirds have overcome a bit of adversity this season. They responded to a 1-4 start to the season by winning 10 of their last 11 games, winning all but two of their games by double digits. Their first home game wasn't until Jan. 13 (they played the first month on the road or at neutral sites as part of multi-team events). The stats are highlighted by returners Katie Bucher, Marissa Green, Saylor Macke and Kaylee Mills, but eighth grader Maren Orme has made the most of her opportunities, scoring 6.7 points per game on 36.4 percent shooting.

The ugly start to the season is in the rear-view mirror. The only thing that can seemingly stop Highlands now is if they hit another losing skid. The toughest games left on its schedule are Ryle, Montgomery County and Simon Kenton, but those are spaced out enough that the Bluebirds will have time to recover from each.

Upcoming schedule: Jan. 22 vs. Campbell County; Jan. 25 vs. Newport; Jan. 26 at Ryle

Holy Cross Indians (14-5)

Best wins: 57-38 over Highlands; 73-49 over Bethlehem; 39-30 over Notre Dame

Pros and cons: The Indians are one of the best small-school teams in the state. They'll head to Corbin next week to defend their All "A" state championship. Holy Cross wins with a swarming defense at all three levels. They can run a full-court press, defend in transition and in the half court. Junior guard Aniyah Carter flies around the court, making dazzling plays at both ends. Senior center Julia Hunt is a premier front-court player. Not only does she dominate in the paint, she has refined her passing game and can even step out and knock down a 3-pointer.

"You can't mimic in practice the type of pressure that we're gonna put on you," head coach Ted Arlinghaus said.

Holy Cross' one drawback is that they have come up just short against some of their best competition: a nine-point loss to Ryle, an eight-point loss to Boyd County, and two-point losses to Winton Woods and George Rogers Clark. Cooper is the best team left on the Indians' schedule, but the docket also features Walton-Verona and Simon Kenton. They could also meet Bethlehem, Owensboro Catholic or Pikeville in the All "A" Classic championship.

Upcoming schedule: Jan. 20 at Beechwood; Jan. 24 vs. Whitefield Academy (All "A" state tournament); Jan. 30 vs. Lloyd Memorial

Notre Dame Pandas (14-4)

Best wins: 61-39 over Montgomery County; 54-50 over Assumption; 54-51 over Russell; 49-44 over Simon Kenton

Pros and cons: A major factor in the Pandas' record this year is that they are a year older. Sophia Gibson, Georgi Kirtley, Maya Lawrie and Tori Lenihan all started as sophomores. While Kirtley isn't on the roster this year and Lenihan has been injured, Emma Holtzapfel has stepped up to fill the void. She is shooting 36.4 percent from three-point range and contributing 10.4 points per game. Gibson is nearly averaging a double-double. The six juniors on the roster are combining for 30.8 points and 23.4 rebounds per game.

"We're winning with a lot of inexperience. The other piece is, we've got a super high ceiling. We're not a finished product, so I feel like once we get to that point and we get consistent, we'll be in a much better situation," head coach Kes Murphy said.

Notre Dame has been plagued by turnovers at various points this season. It committed 20 errors against Holy Cross. The Pandas have also gotten off to slow starts, playing from behind in multiple games. If they can match their opponents in the first half, they can beat anyone on their schedule.

Upcoming schedule: Jan. 23 vs. Holmes; Jan. 30 at Campbell County; Jan. 31 at Boone County

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Ryle Raiders (10-7)

Best wins: 60-51 over Holy Cross; 55-47 over Pulaski County; 69-66 over Boyd County

Pros and cons: The Raiders' current three-game losing streak isn't reflective of the course of their season. Quinn Eubank became the program's all-time leading rebounder last month and is a serious candidate for Ninth Region Player of the Year. Sarah Baker has been a force in the post, but her absence was a factor in the Raiders' loss to Cooper. Sophomore Jaelyn Jones has stepped up as well, doubling her scoring average from her sophomore year.

At times, Ryle has almost been too reliant on its star players. Eubank scored 20 of the team's 30 points against Cooper and 20 of 33 in a loss to Lawrence Central. The Raiders can also be lackadaisical at times. They surrendered a 16-point lead to Boyd County before winning in overtime. With new faces in senior Rosemary Miller and seventh grader Jayden McClain, they are a working to peak at the right time.

"We've got a lot of new pieces and trying to work all of those pieces in has taken time. But I think they are confident in that we're contending, we're there, we're right where we need to be in the sense of being prepared for the end," head coach Katie Haitz said.

Upcoming schedule: Jan. 20 vs. Southwestern at Mercy Academy; Jan. 26 vs. Highlands; Jan. 31 at Frederick Douglass

Simon Kenton Pioneers (14-5)

Best wins: 61-53 over Frederick Douglass; 53-42 over Grant County; 65-61 over Assumption

Pros and cons: Simon Kenton is one of the youngest teams in Northern Kentucky, if not the entire state. At times, Brenden Stowers will have five underclassmen in the starting lineup. It's not without reason as the majority of this roster returned after winning the 2023 Eighth Region championship and gaining valuable experience at the state tournament. Freshman Byrnli Pernell leads the way at 15.1 points per game. Sophomores Meg Gadzala, Anna Kelch and Haylie Webb are combining for 27.6 points and 20.1 rebounds per game.

"We kind of played with a chip (on our shoulder) every game last year. This year is about, 'How do you play with expectations? How do you play with a target on you're back? Are you ready for everyone? Because you're a champion, so everyone's coming for you.'" Stowers said.

This team's youth does show at times. They held a 13-point lead against Notre Dame before turnovers led to their demise. After beating district foe Grant County in the Billy Hicks Classic, the Lady Pioneers lost by 16 points in a Jan. 6 rematch. Simon Kenton has the ability to win the region multiple years in a row with its current roster construction. It just has to stay calm and collected in tense situations.

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Upcoming schedule: Jan. 23 vs. Sacred Heart (Louisville Invitational Tournament); Jan. 30 vs. Anderson County; Feb. 1 at Cooper

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: KHSAA basketball: top girls teams in Northern Kentucky