Before the basketball season started, most people thought University Heights Academy and Madisonville would be the best two teams in the region and would meet in the championship game if they could avoid drawing into the same region tourney bracket.
All of the chips have fallen into place as the Blazers and Maroons will meet for the Second Region championship Saturday night at 6 in Madisonville.
Both teams dispatched of their semifinal opponents in impressive fashion. Kyky Tandy scored 32 points in the first half, and UHA shot 65-percent for the game in blistering Caldwell County 96-60.
Madisonville shot 53-percent from the field and used a 14-0 second half run to beat Henderson County 66-49 in the other semifinal.
The teams met back on Dec. 12 in Hopkinsville with UHA rallying for an 80-79 win. Madisonville led by as many as 12 points midway through the third quarter before the Blazers rallied behind Tandy. He scored 22 points during a 38-25 Blazer run to end the game. Amani McGee hit one-of-two free throws with a second left to give the Blazers the win.
Madisonville was ahead by three points with 1:15 left when K’suan Casey fouled out with 25 points and 20 rebounds. The Maroons also hit just 12-of-21 free throws in the second half.
Madisonville (28-5) carries a 21-game winning streak into the semifinals. Their last loss came Dec. 27 to Owensboro 71-57 in the Meijer Holiday Classic in Bowling Green.
UHA (30-4) is in the region title game for the second straight season and have won eight straight games dating back to a 76-65 loss at Briarcrest Christian, Tenn. on Feb. 2. Their last loss to a Kentucky team was to Mayfield on Jan. 12 at Christian County as part of the Toyota of Hopkinsville Classic.
UHA is 7-2 all-time in region championship games and have won six straight dating back to 1993. They have never met Madisonville in the region title game, although they own a 3-1 record against the Maroons in the region tourney.
Madisonville is 14-8 all-time in region title games. They are the last school from outside the Eighth District to win a Second Region title. That came back in 2001. Their only championship game appearances since then were back-to-back losses in 2011-12.
Saturday’s winner will advance to the Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena where they will meet the Region 12 winner Thursday at 6:30. If the Blazers repeat as region champs for the third time in school history, their opponent could be Lincoln County, coached by Jeff Jackson who won 228 games as UHA head coach from 1992-2003, including a state championship in 1992. Jackson took Lincoln County to the Sweet 16 in 2007 and 2008.
Lincoln County will meet Danville Saturday for the 12th Region title. Lincoln beat Wayne County 67-64 in five overtimes Friday.