Monday, March 05, 2001
N.Ky. girls regional preview
Dixie does flip from last year's 5-23 record
By Ray Schaefer
Enquirer contributor
Dixie Heights won't have the best record when the girls Ninth Region Basketball tournament begins Wednesday at Conner, but the Lady Colonels have staged Northern Kentucky's biggest turnaround.
The Lady Colonels meet 36th District champion Highlands at 8 p.m. Wednesday. The other first round game at 6 p.m. features 35th District champion Holy Cross against 33rd runner-up Conner.
On Thursday, it's tournament favorite and state No.6 Boone County against 36th District runner-up Newport Central Catholic at 6p.m., followed by Calvary Christian against 35th runner-up Holmes at 8 p.m.
Dixie's 48-47 double overtime loss to Calvary Christian in Saturday's 34th District championship game does not negate what the Lady Colonels did this season. With basically the same team they improved from 5-23 a year ago to this season's 18-10.
“We thought we'd be about .500,” coach Jeff Wright said.
All five Dixie starters - senior center Julie Farley, senior forward Cassie Shondell, sophomore forward Sarah Wright (Jeff's daughter), sophomore guard Julianne Lingelbach and freshman guard Dee Durrett, average between eight and 10 points a game. Wright said the offense revolves around Farley, whose 15.6 rebounds a game is second to Walton-Verona senior Jessica Schmidt's 18.
“(Farley's) primarily a rebounder,” Jeff Wright said. “This year, we wanted her to be more of a force on offense.”
Bishop Brossart is one of the hottest teams in Northern Kentucky. The Lady 'Stangs (25-6), who play Winchester George Rogers Clark in the girls 10th Region tournament at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Campbell County Middle School, have an 11-game winning streak, and senior guard Katie Schwegmann averages 27.4 points a game.
“We've been playing good teams,” Brossart coach Ray Kues said. “Each of the other players made a contribution besides Katie.”
Walton-Verona's draw in the girls Eighth Region tournament at Shelby County is perhaps the toughest in Northern Kentucky. If the Ladycats beat 21-6 Oldham County on Thursday, they'll probably face state No.3 Shelby County in next Monday's semifinals.
Coach Tom Luebbe said Oldham County probably doesn't have any special defenses to contain Schmidt, who is also in the top 10 in scoring at 22.5 points per game.
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N.Ky. girls regional preview
