10th Region Girls Basketball Tournament 2026: Preview & Updates

Host: District Winners (First Round), Harrison County (Semifinals & Finals)
Listen: WMST, WWKY, WCYN, WFTM
Live Updates: @TenthRegion
Photos: photos.10thregion.com
State Bracket: 10thRegion.com/girlsbasketball-2026-sweet16/

Quarterfinals

Mason County 59, Pendleton County 42
George Rogers Clark 77, Bishop Brossart 23
Campbell County 76, Montgomery County 61
Nicholas County 61, Bracken County 39

Semifinals

Friday, March 6 at Harrison County

6:00 – Mason County vs. George Rogers Clark
8:00 – Campbell County vs. Nicholas County

Championship

Saturday, March 7 at Harrison County

7:00 – Clark/Mason vs. Campbell/Nicholas

Tourment Preview:

GRC leads a loaded field as the 10th Region Girls Basketball Tournament tips off Monday; Seven of Doctor of Sports’ top eight teams survived district play, but two juggernauts will be gone by the end of opening night

The 2026 Girls’ 10th Region Basketball Tournament opens Monday at four sites (under the new format), and the bracket wasted no time delivering drama. Two first-round matchups feature the top four teams from my final regular-season poll, and seven of my top eight teams survived district play to keep their regional title hopes alive. But claiming that championship will be anything but simple.

Reigning four‑time champion George Rogers Clark, ranked among the top three teams in Kentucky, looked every bit the powerhouse while storming through the 40th District Tournament. The Cardinals didn’t just maintain their dominance; they sharpened it. With their trademark defensive pressure, balanced scoring, and a roster that’s loaded with weapons, GRC enters the regional bracket as the team everyone else must chase.

They aren’t alone in the spotlight. Campbell County, Montgomery County, and Bishop Brossart have each spent time inside the statewide top 25 this season, giving the 10th Region a level of depth and legitimacy rarely seen in recent years. All four programs have signature wins, veteran leadership, and postseason experience, ingredients that make this bracket as dangerous as it is compelling.

By Monday night, however, half of that elite group will already be gone.

The draw wasted no time delivering drama. On one side, No. 1 GRC and No. 4 Bishop Brossart collide in a rematch of last year’s championship game, a contest GRC controlled from start to finish. On the opposite side, No. 2 Campbell County and No. 3 Montgomery County meet again after producing one of the region’s most entertaining regular-season battles.

With the bracket structured the way it is, it’s difficult to imagine the eventual champion coming from anywhere outside this quartet. The question isn’t whether the region’s best teams will rise; it’s which two will survive opening night.

The Road to Rupp has started, and the 10th Region isn’t wasting a second before its best collide.

All First Round games will be on Monday, March 2, at 7:00 p.m.

#7 Pendleton County
at #5 Mason County

The last time these two teams met was December 9, 2024, when the Lady Royals edged the Lady Cats 65-60 in overtime. Mason has also won 14 of the last 16 meetings between the two schools, including the previous two.

Coach Jay Fite’s Lady Royals (17-9) captured their first district tournament championship in four years after previously running off eight straight before finishing runner‑up the last two seasons. They have now reached the regional tournament for the 17th time in the last 20 years. Mason opened district play by ousting St. Patrick 68-34, then rolled past Bracken County 62-28 in the 39th District title game. Five players reached double figures against St. Patrick, and senior Olivia Hughes delivered a big performance (20 pts, 11 rebs) in the win over the Lady Bears. The Lady Royals will enter the region having won 8 of their last 11 games.

Mason is led by senior Amirah Reed (17.4 ppg), junior Kyleigh Kirk (10.0 ppg), Hughes (9.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg), and senior Carlee Buttery (9.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg).

Coach Patrick Kelsch’s Lady Cats (18-7) will arrive as the 38th District runner‑up after a tough 51-48 loss to Nicholas County. They opened postseason play by eliminating Robertson County 78-18. Pendleton returns to the region after missing it last season and has now reached the round of eight in four of the last five years. The Lady Cats enter the tournament winners of 7 of their last 9 games, with both losses coming to Nicholas County.

Senior Lily Ashcraft leads Pendleton with 15.3 ppg. Juniors Hannah Spaulding (12.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg) and Selena Rarrieck (9.7 ppg) also provide strong support.

This game feels too close to call, but Mason playing at home inside the Fieldhouse could tilt things their way. Can two teams be more evenly matched? Not that it really matters, but for comparison’s sake, Nicholas has beaten Pendleton twice in recent weeks, while Mason defeated Nicholas County by 20 during that same stretch.

Advantage and moving on from this one: Mason County

#4 Bishop Brossart
at #1 George Rogers Clark

These two programs are no strangers to March pressure. They met in last year’s regional championship game, where GRC handled Brossart 71-36. This will mark the ninth time in their last eleven meetings that the matchup has come on the regional stage. Brossart has historically held the upper hand in those postseason clashes, winning six of them, including the 2021 semifinal that propelled the Lady ‘Stangs to the regional crown. That victory remains GRC’s last loss to a 10th Region opponent, 57 straight wins since, and it also prevented what could have been nine consecutive regional titles. Instead, the Cardinals have claimed eight of the last nine, including the last four.

The eye test suggests this year’s GRC team is stronger than last year’s version, which doesn’t bode well for a very capable Brossart squad. The Lady ‘Stangs (25-7) reached the 37th District final by knocking out No. 8 Scott 61-40 before falling to No. 2 Campbell County 60-42. Meanwhile, Coach Robbie Graham’s Lady Cardinals (26-2) tore through the 40th District Tournament, overwhelming Bourbon County 91-33 and then defeating No. 3 Montgomery County 74-43 to secure their 13th consecutive district championship.

GRC, the number one scoring team in the state, is as battle-tested as any team in Kentucky. Their schedule is filled with wins over high-level opponents, and their roster is built so that defenses cannot key on just one or two players. Leading the way are junior Kennedy Stamper (13.9 ppg), senior Miss Basketball candidate Teigh Yeast (11.9 ppg), sophomore Kyleigh Chestnut (10.8 ppg), and the eighth-grade duo of Jylin Edmonson (10.8 ppg) and Eliyah Strode (10.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg). Depth is also a major strength, with seniors Annette Miller and Anaya Chestnut, Logan Kennedy, Jaylyn Goodwin, one of the region’s best defensive stoppers, and junior Kyleigh Stakelin all capable of impacting the game, along with a few others.

Brossart enters with a talented group but has hit a rough patch, dropping six of its last ten games as the schedule stiffened. Coach Aaron Stamm’s team is powered by sophomore standout Kylie Smith (18.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg), along with juniors Greylee Kramer (11.6 ppg) and Hadley Eviston (10.1 ppg). Senior Rachel Shewmaker and junior Lilee Meyers also provide important minutes and experience.

Advantage and moving on from this one: George Rogers Clark

#3 Montgomery County
at #2 Campbell County

When Montgomery County and Campbell County squared off back on February 12 in Alexandria, the Lady Camels came out on top. Coach Davey Johnson’s squad led 21-14 after one quarter and 40-36 at the half. By the end of the third, Montgomery County had trimmed the margin to three, only to see Campbell regroup and take the fourth quarter 21-12 to pull away for the 75-63 victory.

Two unsung heroes paced Campbell County on that evening: seniors Faith Whitford (18 points) and Madeleine Barbian (17 points and 4 made three‑point goals). The pair entered the night averaging just 8.8 and 5.8 points per game, making their combined 35-point outburst a major lift. Senior Isabella Jayasuriya (12 points and 9 rebounds) and sophomore Kendall Augsback (15 points) also provided key support in the win. The Lady Camels finished the game hitting 10 of their 32 attempts from beyond the arc and 11 of their 20 free throws.

Coach Jordan Perry’s Lady Indians (20-10) were led by junior Baylee Warner (17 points and 6 rebounds), senior Addison Terry (15 points and 5 rebounds), and 13 points each from junior Elaine Purvis and freshman Raegan Mays, who both added five rebounds. Campbell, which has now taken five of the last six meetings from MoCo, outshot the Lady Indians 67 to 46, though Montgomery held the advantage at the free-throw line, making 18 compared to Campbell’s 11.

Campbell (21-6) enters the tournament having dropped three of its last four, but those losses came against teams capable of reaching Rupp Arena next week. Montgomery County, meanwhile, has won 8 of its last 11, with the three setbacks coming against perennial powers.

Campbell won the 37th District championship by defeating Bishop Brossart in the finals, while Montgomery County enters as the 40th District runner‑up. The Lady Indians advanced by taking out a scrappy Paris squad in the semifinal before falling to GRC in the championship game.

Terry leads the Lady Indians with 17.7 points and 7 rebounds per game. Purvis is averaging 13.9 per outing, while Mays (10.7 ppg), and Warner (10.9 ppg & 5.7 rpg) round out their double figure scorers. Look for junior Sophie Fouch to also provide a punch.

Jayasuriya heads the Lady Camels’ crew with just under 16 points and 10 rebounds per outing. Augsback averages 10.5 per contest.

This showdown is likely to come down to shot-making. Perry’s team has knocked down 248 three-point shots, including 93 from Terry, who ranks 10th in the state for threes made in a game. Campbell has made 251 threes, with eight players hitting 10 or more. Johnson’s team is the 17th-best three-point shooting squad in the state, while MoCo sits 21st. Just as in the February meeting, this one may be decided by whichever team connects from deep.

Advantage and moving on from this one: Campbell County

#10 Bracken County
at #6 Nicholas County

Back on December 12, 2025, in Carlisle, the Nicholas County Lady Jackets walked off the floor with a 67-48 win over Coach Jonathon Nelson’s Lady Bears. Seventh grader Zoe Brown led Coach Reesa Martin’s team with 20 points that night, while leading scorer Maggie Simons added 18 points and 5 rebounds. Eighth grader Sidney Sexton chipped in 14. Bracken relied heavily on two sophomores, as Kailey Sharp (24 points) and Kyndall Johnson (17 points) combined for 41 of the team’s 48. The Lady Bears went 12 of 21 at the line, 4 of 12 from three, and 16 of 41 overall from the field. Nicholas finished 9 of 12 at the stripe, 4 of 13 from deep, and made 27 of their 55 total field goal attempts.

To knock off Nicholas, which has won 9 of the last 11 meetings, Bracken (15-13) will need production from players beyond Sharp and Johnson. With Nicholas featuring sharpshooter Brown and the talented Simons, scoring balance is essential if Nelson’s team hopes to stay with the 38th District champions. Nicholas advanced to region play by eliminating Harrison County 59-44 and then defeating a determined Pendleton County squad in the title game. Bracken, the 39th District runner‑up, ousted Augusta in the semifinal before falling hard to Mason County in the championship.

Nicholas (18-12), after dropping five of seven late in the season, enters the regional tournament on a four‑game win streak. Bracken has lost six of its last eight heading into Monday night’s matchup. The Lady Jackets will be making their 11th straight trip to the tournament, while Bracken appears for the fifth consecutive year.

Simons leads Nicholas with 23 points and 7 rebounds per game. Brown, junior Loralee Orazen, Sexton, and freshman Vella Dunn should also provide key support.

Sharp leads the Lady Bears at 18.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, while Johnson adds 13.7 points and 5.3 rebounds. Sophomore Sophia Bachman and senior Ella Burton are also expected to play important roles.

This one has all the makings of a battle, but the home team gets the edge, and it never hurts to have the reigning 10th Region Player of the Year on your side.

Advantage and moving on from this one: Nicholas County