St. Xavier 56 Male 52

ronny32 · 02-23-2012, 11:14 PM

First district championship since 2001.

**Stardust** · 02-24-2012, 08:49 AM

Brock Kiesler scored the go-ahead basket, but it was Alex Jones’ four-point play that ignited St. Xavier’s big fourth-quarter rally that resulted in a 56-52 victory over visiting Male in the 26th District basketball final Thursday night.

The Tigers, No. 20 in The Courier-Journal’s Litkenhous Ratings, trailed 46-34 after three quarters before outscoring the Bulldogs 22-6 in the fourth.

It was St. X’s eighth consecutive win and its 21st in 29 games. More important, it gave the Tigers (21-8) their first district championship since 2001.

St. X, which beat the Bulldogs 56-45 on Feb. 3 at Male, scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to pull within 46-41, but Male moved in front 49-41 before Jones’ four-point play began an 11-0 spurt that shoved St. X ahead 52-49.

Jones, who scored 12 points, hit a three-point shot with 3:02 remaining. He was knocked to the floor after releasing the ball and drew a foul.

“When Jones made that three, we huddled up at the free-throw line and said, “We’re winning this game,” said Nathan Smith, who led St. X with 18 points. “We took it to them after that. Male took it to us for the first three quarters.”

Jones said his shot “felt good, but I didn’t see it go in. Then I heard the reaction (that the shot was good). We got on a run and got our confidence back after that.”

Both teams will advance to the Seventh Region Tournament that opens Tuesday at Bellarmine University’s Knights Hall. It will mark St. X’s first trip to the regional since 2006.

“To do what we did and erase that deficit as well as end that drought is special,” St. X. coach Kevin Klein said. “Jones hit an unbelievable shot. That set Male back on their heels a little. Male got a little shook after that. I knew our guys would answer the challenge in the fourth quarter. It was just a matter of time.

“Male was physical and did a great job for three quarters. They hit us in the mouth. I told our kids we had to be in the attack mode in the fourth quarter. We had to have our best quarter of the year to win.”

http://saxo.highschoolsports.net/article...52?Avis=B2

**Stardust** · 02-24-2012, 08:49 AM

Male (18-14)—Moran 16, Belew 10, Lambert 10, Taylor 8, Stoner 7, Miller 1.St. X (21-8)—Smith 18, Jones 12, Moody 9, Shaw 7, Kiesler 8, Glasford 2.3-point goals - Lambert 2, Moran, Stoner; Jones, Moody.
Male 15 14 17 6 - 52
St. Xavier 8 11 14 22 - 56