George Rogers Clark tops St. Xavier in OT for KHSAA Boys Sweet 16 title
· Yahoo Sports
LEXINGTON — Overlooked most of the season, the George Rogers Clark High School boys basketball team made history Saturday night.
The Cardinals rallied in the fourth quarter to force overtime and then hit 14 of 16 free throws in the extra period to stun St. Xavier 58-50 in the championship game of the UK HealthCare Boys Sweet 16.
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A crowd of 11,780 at Rupp Arena saw GRC join Ashland (1928) as the only schools in state history to sweep the boys and girls basketball state championships. GRC beat Assumption 48-43 in last week’s Girls Sweet 16 final.
No. 3-ranked St. Xavier (29-8) finished a third straight season with a stunning loss, adding Saturday night to a loss to Seneca in the semifinals of the 2024 Seventh Region Tournament and to Jeffersontown in the first round of last year’s Sweet 16.
The Tigers were seeking their first state title since 1962.
St. X took a 44-40 lead on Chief Cameron’s 3-point play with 2:58 left in regulation but didn’t score again until overtime.
Montez Gay’s basket tied the score at 44 with 1:19 left. The Tigers had a final possession to win in regulation but couldn’t convert.
GRC scored all 14 of its overtime from the free-throw line. St. X was 2 for 7 from the field in the extra period.
Malachi Ashford scored 18 points to lead No. 4 GRC (33-4) and was named Sweet 16 MVP. Jamylyn Johnson added 15 points. The Cardinals claimed their third state title, previously winning in 1951 and 2022.
Cameron led St. X with 15 points, six steals and five assists.
This story will be updated.
GRC 10 14 7 13 14 - 58
STX 14 12 6 12 6 – 50
George Rogers Clark (33-4) – Malachi Ashford 18, Jamylyn Johnson 15, Montez Gay 9, Amari Bartelson 4, Ryder Akins 10, Haddon Cecil 2.
St. Xavier (29-8) – Chief Cameron 15, Connor Klein 6, Jordan Jackson 5, Josh Lindsay 11, Jeremiah Jackson 9, Bryce Johnson 3, Campbell Webber 1.
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; [email protected]; Follow on X @kyhighs.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: KHSAA Boys Sweet 16, George Rogers Clark beats St. Xavier for title