Top-ranked St. Xavier advances to Sweet 16 championship behind huge 3rd quarter run

The Rupp Arena seats aren’t used to being coated in orange, but Grayson County’s rowdy and loyal fanbase couldn’t quite help overpower the state’s top-ranked team.

In the first semifinal of the UK HealthCare Boys Basketball Sweet 16® on Saturday, the No. 1 St. Xavier Tigers (29-7) used a devastating third-quarter run to beat the No. 11 Grayson County Cougars (27-7) by a score of 67-37 to reach tonight’s championship game. It was just a six-point ball game at halftime before St. Xavier rattled off a 24-5 stretch in the third frame that put the Cougars to bed.

Senior Jeremiah Jackson was terrific for the Tigers, posting 26 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists on 10-17 shooting. St. X shot 49.1 percent from the field, but it was the effort on the defensive end that stood out. Grayson County shot just 26.7 percent overall for the afternoon. Jack Logsdon was the only Cougar to reach double-digits with 10 points and seven rebounds.

“Super proud of the way we came out,” St. X head coach Kevin Klein said postgame. “That’s two games in a row with defense setting the tone. We are plus 33 in the first and third quarter, and that’s when the game really mattered most.”

#1 ST X runs #11 Grayson County out of the gym 67-37!

Jeremiah Jackson 26 PTS – 8 REB – 7 AST
Chief Cameron 13 PTS – 75% FG – 3 STL@KSRonX HS Hoops coverage pic.twitter.com/Cp6h7ddyxi

— SterlingVision (@sterlingvis1) March 21, 2026

It was the tenacious defense that set the tone early and often. Grayson County was just 3-11 from the field in the opening quarter — and that was with St. X star sophomore Josh Lindsay sitting on the bench with two quick fouls. It was already a 19-6 Tiger lead through eight minutes of action.

A 7-7 mark from the free-throw line in the second quarter saved the Cougars from staring down a larger deficit. It was just a four-point game deep into the second quarter. But Grayson County went through field goal droughts of five-plus minutes in the first, second, and third frames that all proved costly. St. X won the battle in the paint, 48-12, and was just as dominant on the glass with a 41-24 edge. The Tigers’ 18-0 run to end the third quarter was the final nail in the coffin.

“That’s a great team,” Jackson said of the Cougars. “They play as hard as they can, and they’re gonna always fight to come back. But like Coach Klein said, we definitely preaching getting into the paint. As a senior leader, I gotta preach what coach preaches to my other teammates. I set the lead by example.”

St. Xavier also received 13 points from senior Chief Cameron, along with seven rebounds and eight rebounds from sophomore Jordan Jackson. Lindsay, ranked No. 31 nationally in the class of 2028, finished with six points and six rebounds. The Tigers went just 4-18 from deep, but didn’t need the long ball to cruise.

Klein was able to empty his bench with three minutes left in the game, his squad up by 28 points at the time. Grayson County head coach Travis Johnston did the same soon after, erupting a disappointed yet still excited Grayson County fan section one last time. Half of Rupp Arena’s lower bowl was filled with bright orange, Leitchfield natives routinely making the roughly two-hour drive to Lexington throughout the week.

“They’re the best fans in the state,” Grayson County junior Spencer Langdon, who added four points and six rebounds, said. “They traveled with us all year, region, here in Rupp Arena, which is like two hours away. They’re awesome. They support us all year, and I just want to thank them. I love every single one of them.”

The Cougar faithful will continue to support their boys in orange, but Grayson County’s run in the state tournament has come to an end. St. Xavier will face the winner of No. 3 North Oldham and No. 5 George Rogers Clark tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET back inside Rupp Arena for the ultimate trophy. The Tigers will look to win their first Sweet 16 title since 1962.

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