LEXINGTON — Survive and advance.
That’s the mindset for No. 10 North Laurel as the Jaguars return to the floor at historic Rupp Arena on Friday morning, facing No. 1 St. Xavier in the quarterfinals of the 108th UK HealthCare KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16.
Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
Both teams enter the matchup riding momentum after impressive opening-round victories on Wednesday. St. X (27-7) knocked off No. 2 Covington Catholic, 75-61 while North Laurel (29-7) delivered one of the tournament’s biggest statements, eliminating No. 4 Warren Central — the state’s top RPI team — with a 52-38 win.
The Tigers showcased their offensive firepower in their opener, placing five players in double figures.
Joshua Lindsay led the way with 21 points, followed by Jermaine Cameron (14), Connor Klein (12), Bryce Johnson (12), and Jordan Jackson (10). St. X was red-hot from the floor, shooting 30-of-48 overall and an eye-popping 12-of-18 from 3-point range.
North Laurel, meanwhile, leaned on its star power and defensive grit.
Senior Reece Davidson once again delivered on the state’s biggest stage, finishing with 20 points on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting from beyond the arc and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line. The standout senior — who averaged 38.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in last year’s state tournament — added six rebounds, two steals, a block, and an assist.
The Jaguars also received key contributions across the board.
Corey Cunagin added 11 points and four rebounds, Kaiden Allen chipped in 10 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, while Jordan Rawlings scored nine points with a pair of 3-pointers. Cooper Elza rounded out the scoring with two points.
As a team, North Laurel shot 17-of-35 from the floor, including 8-of-16 from 3-point range, and connected on 10-of-12 free throws. Even more impressive was the defensive effort, holding Warren Central to just 14-of-48 shooting and winning the rebounding battle, 29-23.
Now, the challenge gets even tougher.
“St. X is another good basketball team,” North Laurel coach Nate Valentine said. “They are extremely athletic, good on the defensive end and have multiple weapons on the offensive end. They are well coached and shot the ball extremely well yesterday going 12-of-18 from 3 yesterday. We’ll need another good defensive effort tomorrow.
“I believe our schedule has prepared us for this state tournament,” he added. “A team like St. X is very hard to simulate in practice. We have played a good mix of different styles of play this season. Playing Warren Central yesterday was a good preparation game as well.
“Yesterday was a very good win for our basketball program,” Valentine continued. “Warren Central is a top five team and was actually No. 1 in the RPI. Our guys play with great poise and persevered thru fatigue late in the game. Our guys were excited about the win but I haven’t gotten the sense they are satisfied. We worked on a lot of recovery yesterday trying to get their bodies right. We’ll have a good day of practice and preparation today to get ready for St. X.”
Facing a high-powered St. X offense, Valentine emphasized that the blueprint remains similar to Wednesday’s win.
“This is a similar game to Warren Central,” Valentine said. “We’ll have to limit their transition points and make things tough on them on the defensive end. We won the rebound game vs. Warren Central. We’ll need the same effort from everyone.”
With confidence building and momentum on their side, the Jaguars now turn their attention to the tournament’s top seed — knowing another complete effort could send them back to the Final Four.
“I like where we are mentally right now,” Valentine said. “Our guys are confident but not arrogant. They have respect for the other team but believe they can compete with anyone. We’ve definitely hit our stride the last two weeks. We’re just taking it 1 game at a time and trying to survive and advance.”
Friday morning at Rupp Arena, it’s simple for North Laurel: survive and advance.
