The morning session on Friday of the 2026 UK HealthCare Boys Basketball Sweet 16® had two close, back-and-fourth games. St. Xavier from the 7th Region and Grayson County from the 3rd Region are heading to the semifinals on Saturday morning.
St. Xavier 46, North Laurel 44
St. Xavier took control early and led the entire game, limiting North Laurel to four first-quarter points. The turning point came in the opening half, when St. Xavier built a 25-18 lead and forced North Laurel to play from behind the rest of the way. North Laurel made its push after halftime, trimming the margin to three by the end of the third quarter and staying within reach into the final minute, but St. Xavier answered enough late to hold on.
St. Xavier shot 50 percent from the field compared with North Laurel’s 41.5 percent and finished 12 of 15 at the free-throw line, while North Laurel went 5 of 7. North Laurel had the better 3-point percentage, hitting 5 of 15, but St. Xavier offset that by scoring 24 points in the paint and finishing with a 22-20 rebounding edge.
Jermaine Cameron led St. Xavier with 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Jordan Jackson added 10 points and Jeremiah Jackson scored 10. North Laurel was paced by Reece Davidson’s 15 points and Cooper Elza’s 13. Jordan Rawlings added six points and a team-high six assists as North Laurel nearly erased the deficit late.
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Grayson County 58, Great Crossing 50
Grayson County is heading to the semifinals after winning a back-and-forth battle with the defending Sweet 16 champions that featured eight ties and 17 lead changes.
Grayson County pulled away in the fourth quarter after the teams spent most of the afternoon trading runs. Great Crossing led for 18:47 and took a 38-35 advantage into the final period, but Grayson County closed with a decisive 23-point fourth quarter. The biggest swing came in the closing minutes, when Grayson County turned a tight game into an eight-point win and took its first double-digit lead with 13 seconds remaining.
Grayson County outscored Great Crossing 28-18 in the paint, held a 10-4 edge in second-chance points and finished 15 of 18 from the foul line. Great Crossing matched Grayson County from the field at 50 percent and also shot 50 percent from 3-point range.
Jack Logsdon led Grayson County with 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Brody Armstrong added 17 points. Jagger Mardis scored 10, giving Grayson County three double-figure scorers. Great Crossing was led by Brady Orem’s 19 points and Graham Swartz’s 15.
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