LEXINGTON — Sweet revenge.
Warren Central captured its first boys’ Sweet 16 championship since 2004 by ending George Rogers Clark’s reign with a ??-?? Win during Saturday’s UK HealthCare Boys’ Sweet 16 title game.
The Dragons (37-1), who won their 27th straight game, used a 10-2 run to pull away from the Cardinals, and led the remainder of the game.
Warren Central placed four players in double figures with Damarion Walkup’s, Omari Glover’s and Kade Unseld’s 17 points leading the way. Sweet 16 MVP Chappelle Whitney also scored in double figures, adding 10 points, and eight rebounds.
The Dragons finished the game 23-of-41 from the floor while hitting 7-of-13 shot attempts from 3-point range.
Jerone Morton led George Rogers Clark with 23 points while Sam Parrish added 16 points, and are again Hampton finished with 13 points.
The Cardinals finished the game hitting 25-of-47 shot attempts, including a 6-of-14 effort from 3-point range.
Fairdale High School fans can celebrate, the Bulldogs remain the last team to repeat as state champions in 1990, and ‘91.
Warren Central took control in the first quarter, building an 18-12 lead behind behind 6-of-9 shooting from the floor.
Walkup, and Unseld each had five points apiece while Glover, and Whitney scored four points apiece.
The Cardinals shot 6-of-10 from the floor, as Parrish, and Edwards scored four points apiece.
It was a game of runs in the second quarter with George Rogers Clark fighting back from a 20-12 deficit with a 6-0 run.
Edwards scored four points during the stretch while Morton’s basket made the score, 20-18, with 5:29 remaining.
Warren Central followed with two straight 3-pointers by Walkup and a basket by Glover capped off an 8-0 run that gave the Dragons a 28-18 advantage with 3:23 remaining in the first half.
The Cardinals scored four straight points to cut their deficit to 32-27 at the 2:40 mark while a free throw by Walkup, and a banked 3-pointer at the buzzer by Izayiah Villafuerte gave Warren Central a 36-27 lead at halftime.
Warren Central shot 12-of-20 in the first half, including a 4-of-7 effort from 3-point range. Walkup led the Dragons with 14 points while Glover added 10 points.
George Rogers Clark shot 12-of-23 from the floor while Morton led the Cardinals with 10 points. Parrish added eight points while Edwards scored seven points.
Warren Central’s lead grew to 48-32 with 4:38 left in the third quarter after Unseld scored his team’s first 10 points of the third quarter.
The Cardinals answered with a 10-4 run to close out the period while cutting their deficit to 52-42 entering the fourth quarter.
