The disappointments of the past three region tournaments have fueled the Notre Dame Pandas this year.
Notre Dame (23-3 overall) has lost in the region title game each of the past two seasons. Dixie Heights beat Notre Dame, 45-43 in the title game at Holmes last year and Ryle beat Notre Dame, 47-42 in 2020 at BB&T Arena on the campus of Northern Kentucky University where the tournament returns this year.
Notre Dame has won six in a row entering the tournament as the favorite this year. That includes a 60-44 win over then top-ranked George Rogers Clark to conclude the regular season.
“I think they’ll be locked in,” said Kes Murphy, Notre Dame Head Coach. “This entire season, it felt as though they were just waiting for postseason time. We started really getting locked in during February. You feel it in practice. You feel it in games. It’s just different with these girls from where we started as freshmen into their sophomore and junior years. I think they have a really good understanding of what’s at hand. So they get it.”
Notre Dame has seven seniors. Guard Lacey Bradshaw leads the 35th District champion Pandas averaging 13.5 points per game and junior forward Noelle Hubert averages 13.4. Senior guard Macie Feldman averages 9.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
But the Pandas have a tough draw in the 33rd District runner-up Ryle Lady Raiders (19-9) at 1 p.m. Sunday. Notre Dame bested Ryle, 63-34 in Park Hills on Feb. 15. In that game, Notre Dame used its depth and full-court pressure defense to wear down Ryle.
But Ryle could challenge Notre Dame if the Lady Raiders beat their full-court pressure and find their taller posts in 6-foot-2-inch sophomore Sarah Baker and sophomore forward Quinn Eubank. Ryle has three players averaging in double figures in junior guard Abby Holtman at 15 per game, Eubank at 13.3 and junior guard Austin Johnson at 12.6. Eubank averages a double-double with 10.2 rebounds per game.
The second game of the afternoon session at 2:30 p.m. features the 36th District champion Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds (21-10) led by dynamic senior guard Rylee Turner averaging 26.1 points per game and freshman guard Carline Eaglin at 11.9 points per game.
NewCath drew 34th District runner-up Ludlow (25-7). The teams did not meet during the regular season. The Panthers feature senior center Jenna Lillard and junior point guard Mylee Garrett at 22.7 and 11.5 points per game respectively. The winners of the first two games play Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
The first game of the evening session at 6:30 p.m. puts the 34th District champion Dixie Heights Colonels (24-7) against the 36th District runner-up Highlands Bluebirds (12-16). Senior Madelyn Lawson leads Dixie Heights averaging 16.9 points per game. Juniors Samantha Berman and Reece Smith follow averaging 12.6 and 11.7 points per game.
“We’ve been playing up and down just like most teams,” said Joel Steczynski, Dixie Heights Head Coach. “We were down 23 points against Ludlow (in the 34th District title game). We fought back and won with seven seconds left and held them there. There is not a whole lot you can change at this point – just continue to play with a lot of heart and really try to focus on execution.”
Host Dixie Heights beat Highlands, 62-22 in the second game of the regular season. But third-year starting point guard Alyssa Harris did not play in that game for Highlands. Her return has been the key to the Bluebirds playing better lately.
Freshman 6-foot-2-inch center Marissa Green has given Highlands consistency down low averaging 13.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. The key for the Bluebirds is hitting some outside shots to loosen things up for Green in the paint. Harris, senior guard Meg Gessner and even freshman guard Ellie Mohr have hit some lately.
The final game sees the upstart 33rd District champion Cooper Lady Jaguars (20-9) take on the 35th District champion Holy Cross Indians (19-13). Cooper has won seven in a row entering the tournament including the first district tournament championship in school history.
Junior forward Whitney Lind leads Cooper averaging 17.1 points per game and sophomore guard Logan Palmer averages 10.6. The Lady Jaguars go eight deep and the other six players contribute in many different ways.
Cooper will have to find a way to deal with sophomore post Julia Hunt. Hunt averages 15.9 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. Senior forward Hanna Robinson averages 11.2 per game. Cooper beat host Holy Cross, 52-47 on Jan. 21.
The winner of the evening sessions meets at 8 p.m. Wednesday. The championship game is Friday at 7 p.m.
