The Dixie Heights Colonels (25-7 overall) won their ninth straight 34th District championship with a 68-41 win over the host St. Henry Crusaders (18-12) on Thursday.
Dixie Heights put four players in double figures. Senior guard Ella Steczynski led the way scoring 16 points with freshman guard Coralee Pelfrey scoring 13. Freshman guard Aubrey Elkins scored 12 and sophomore guard Bella Crawford scored 10 with senior guard Sammy Berman scoring eight points. Steczynski won the tournament most valuable player honors with Berman and junior guard Jalynn Brooks making the all-tournament team.
Dixie Heights made 40 percent of its shots including 35 percent from three-point range and 75 percent from the free-throw line to go with 26 rebounds. Berman snagged a team-high nine rebounds.
Junior guard Kayla Unkraut led St. Henry with 18 points. But no one else scored more than eight points as St. Henry made just three three-pointers and 8-of-17 free throws.
The Ninth Region quarterfinals are Sunday. Dixie Heights will face Ryle, Newport Central Catholic or Holy Cross. St. Henry is looking at a matchup with either Highlands, Cooper or Notre Dame.
36th District Championship
Highlands 67, Newport Central Catholic 36
Head Coach Jaime Walz-Richey can’t say enough about how glad sophomore 6-foot-2-inch center Marissa Green is wearing the blue and white. The tournament’s most valuable player posted her third career triple-double with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 11 blocks to lead the Bluebirds (23-8) to their eighth district championship in nine seasons.
Senior point guard Alyssa Harris and freshman guard Katie Bucher joined Green on the all-tournament team. Harris scored 15 with freshman guard Saylor Macke scoring 11.
“They’ve each gotten better,” Richey said. “A lot of credit goes to Alyssa who would get those girls together in the spring, summer and fall to do things. She’s finally healthy. We’re a totally different team with Alyssa.”
Highlands had assists on 20 of 27 field goals and hit nearly 50% from the field, including 10 three-pointers. The Bluebirds added six steals, had eight turnovers and grabbed 40 rebounds. Bucher and freshman guard Natalie Hinegardner had five assists each. Hinegardner added three steals.
“I definitely think that our defense has improved,” Hinegardner said. “We work on it a lot in practice. I think that everyone on the team is getting more comfortable communicating with each other so that makes it easier for everyone else. I think we just trust each other more now and we have a good team so it makes it easier to play defense.”
Sophomore guard Caroline Eaglin led the Thoroughbreds with 14 points, making all four free throws NewCath attempted. Sophomore forward Jaylee Brannen made three of the six NewCath triples on her way to nine points. Both made the all-tournament team.
“NC started out strong,” Richey said. “We made some changes defensively then we did a good job for the rest of the game.”
Highlands will face either St. Henry, Ryle or Holy Cross in the region quarterfinals Sunday. NewCath is looking at a matchup with Cooper, Notre Dame or Dixie Heights.
32nd District Championship
Grant County 47, Simon Kenton 45
The host Pioneers (16-14) could not put together another solid shooting performance, losing to the top-seeded Braves (18-10) in the district championship game.
Eighth grade point guard Brynli Pernell led the Pioneers with 15 points, making 6-of-7 free throws. Freshman post Haylie Webb added 10 points as Simon Kenton made 8-of-9 free throws for 89 percent and five three-pointers. Pernell and senior Emilee Eggleston made the all-tournament team.
Simon Kenton could not contain sophomore shooting guard Jada Cummins, who finished with 23 points making.
The Eighth Region quarterfinals take place Monday and Tuesday at Gallatin County. The other three district championships take place Friday.