LAFAYETTE

LAFAYETTE

Allison Denton.* Coach:

1984 (lost to Atherton 60-39 in first round).Last trip to State:

Denton said the school has been buzzing since Sunday’s 53-40 win over Dunbar that put the Generals in the Sweet 16 for the first time in 30 years, and she thinks her team will be ready. Lafayette has “two dominant post players” with 6-3 Thomas and 5-11 Cooley, the coach said, and Givens, Pankins and Kenyale Demus are all major threats to score and rebound around them. Glasgow coach Justin Stinson said the Generals “are going to look like the University of Tennessee when they trot out there.”What to look for:

Givens can be a high scorer, but her defense is equally important. She had seven steals in each of Lafayette’s district tournament games, and her ability to turn defense into offense makes the Generals an exciting team. “Her quickness and athleticism, we kind of feed off that,” Denton said, adding that Western Kentucky, Cincinnati and Austin Peay are recruiting her.Key player:

“Teams have had to pick and choose who they are going to stop. They are all capable of putting up high numbers. We have five kids capable of putting up big buckets.”Coach-speak:

Starters

23-Sarah Cooley

5-11, Sr., 9.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg

3-Dee Givens

5-11, Jr., 16.8 ppg, 7 rpg

22-Kiara Pankins

5-8, Fr., 13.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg

21-Kenyale Demus

5-6, Sr., 7.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg

32-Ashanti Thomas

6-3, Jr., 9.2 ppg, 8.2 rpg

Key reserves

33-Aisha Conwell

5-8, So., 0.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg

13-Shirlisa Demus

5-6, Sr., 2 ppg, 1.6 rpg

15-Megumi Nagahiro

5-6, Sr., 1.5 ppg, 1.4 rpg

GLASGOW

GLASGOW

Justin Stinson.Coach:

2012 (lost to Butler 54-49 in first round).Last trip to State:

Glasgow, which set the school record for wins and has the state’s longest winning streak at 18, is trying to become the first All “A” Classic champion to win the Sweet 16 since Lexington Christian in 2007. The Lady Scotties boast the experience of their 2012 state trip and the talent of two NCAA Division I prospects. Western Kentucky signee Shalika Smith is a “blue-collar” player, Stinson said, and Glover is one of the state’s best sophomores. It won’t hurt that the nearby Lady Scotties should bring a nice crowd.What to look for:

Glover, who’s been a varsity starter since eighth grade, is a 2016 Miss Basketball candidate, and she already has scholarship offers from Kentucky, Louisville, WKU and Dayton. She got hit in the mouth in the regional final win over Bowling Green and now has 10 stitches, but she still finished with 34 points and 16 rebounds. “We’re going to put the ball in her hands a lot,” Stinson said. “She’s very athletic. She’s going to score going to the basket. We’re going to use a ball screen for her some. Her court vision is tremendous.”Key player:

“We feel like our big-game experience is as good as anybody’s. The field itself is wide-open. There are probably eight or nine teams that think they can win the thing, and we’d like to think we’re one of them.”Coach-speak:

Starters

44-Breanna Glover

5-11, So., 18.8 ppg, 10.9 rpg

24-Shalika Smith

6-1, Sr., 15.4 ppg, 9.5 rpg

10-Emily Alexander

5-8, Sr., 8.3 ppg, 4 rpg

14-Elli Bartley

5-4, Fr., 2.3 ppg, 1 rpg

15-Hydeia Depp

5-8, Sr., 0.9 ppg, 1.8 rpg

Key reserves

1-Ashley Smith

5-5, Sr., 2.9 ppg, 2 rpg

25-Allie Chapman

5-8, So., 2.7 ppg, 1.2 rpg

22-Kaylyn Hale

5-6, 8th, 1.5 ppg, 0.4 rpg

42-Heidi Holgate

6-0, So.,1.4 ppg, 1.2 rpg

TEAM COMPARISON

— Steve Jones