Published: January 30, 2008 02:28 am      

Defending Sweet 16 champs return to defend All “A” Classic title

RICHMOND — Lexington Christian Academy won two state basketball championships last season.

And while one of those titles was much higher profile than the other, both represented a very special accomplishment in a truly memorable year for the Lady Eagles.

“Because we went on and won the Sweet 16, in some people’s minds (the Touchstone Energy All “A” Classic title) got diminished a little bit,” LCA coach Jason Seamands said. “But, not to our basketball team. It’s a big deal.”

The Lady Eagles won 34 games and finished a stellar season by capturing the school’s first-ever Kentucky High School Athletic Association Sweet 16 title. Led by senior point guard Emily London and a talented group of underclassmen, they won their final 23 games, which included an impressive run to the All “A” Classic title.

LCA outscored its opponents 304-201 during a devastating four-game run to the championship at McBrayer Arena, highlighted by a 26-point victory in the title game.

The Lady Eagles will look to defend the school’s first-ever All “A” Classic title when play gets under way today at McBrayer Arena. LCA (15-4) will take on Owensboro Catholic (15-6) at 9 a.m. in the 16-team tournament’s opening game.

“It was a thrill, especially with the way we did it,” Seamands said of last year’s All “A” Classic title. “We played some of our best basketball down there last year. Just about every half we put together was solid. So, hopefully we can play that well again this week.”

The Lady Eagles will enter this year’s tournament as the overwhelming favorite, but they could face some serious competition from a field that features five of last year’s quarterfinalists, including 2007 runner-up Newport Central Catholic.

With the exception of London, who is starting as a freshman for Samford University, LCA has back almost every player who made a significant contribution during last’s year All “A” Classic.

Junior guard Anna Martin is averaging a team-high 17.5 points a game and junior point guard Courtney Clifton is scoring more than 15 points a game. Clara Mitchell, a junior power forward, is the team’s leading rebounder and Sarah Beth Barnette, a sophomore guard, is also averaging more than eight rebounds a game so far this year.

The Lady Eagles have lost just four times this season — twice to Lexington Catholic and once to Dunbar.

“We are playing our best basketball right now,” Seamands said. “No doubt about it. We’ve gotten better and every two or three weeks you can see improvement. We are healthy now and its just a matter of going out there and playing our best.”

Newport Central Catholic also graduated a standout point guard, Shannon Klei, who signed with Ball State, but has plenty of talent back from last year’s runner-up team.

Sophomore guard Courtney Sandfoss is averaging 13.5 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals, while Whitney Cundiff has been averaging 12 points, 6.5 rebounds and two assists.

Cundiff along with Mariah Tabor, a sophomore forward, have been slowed by injuries, but are expected to play in today’s opener.

“This is our state tournament,” Newport Central Catholic coach Christie McDonald said. “We look forward to it and we are trying to get healthy and get prepared to come down there and make a good showing.”

The Thoroughbreds have won six of the past seven games heading into the tournament and could face a finals rematch with LCA in the second round.

“We are going to worry about Leslie County,” McDonald said. “My girls don’t look ahead. I’m sure their parents do. But, it would be a rematch and they are a different team without Emily London, but they have so much talent.”

In addition to LCA, the only other former champion in this year’s field is Holy Cross (Louisville). The Cougars won the title in 1994 and 1996 and are set to make a tournament-record 13th appearance in the event.

Paris (11-6) reached the semifinals last year, losing to Newport Central Catholic, and will be making its fourth straight trip to McBrayer Arena.

Cumberland County (18-2) and Bardstown (18-4) both advanced to the quarterfinals in 2007 and are back to make another run at a title. Crittenden County (9-8), Owensboro Catholic (15-6) and Danville (11-6) return to the tournament looking for first-ever All “A” Classic wins.

Middlesboro (19-1) and Trimble County (5-12) are each heading back to McBrayer Arena for the third time, while five teams will be making their first-ever appearance in the tournament — Leslie County (9-9), Ballard Memorial (14-4), Whitefield Academy (11-7), Shelby Valley (13-7) and Elliott County (11-9).

The event runs through this weekend, with the final scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Sunday.