North Knox rallies late, beats Mater Dei 48-42 for 2A regional title

Millee LeRoy’s late-game shooting turned the tide as North Knox rallied to beat Evansville Mater Dei 48-42 in the IHSAA Class 2A Boonville Regional final in Boonville, Indiana. LeRoy hit a 3-pointer to tie the game with 3:30 remaining and drained a second 3 about two minutes later to put the Warriors ahead, and Lexi Primus closed the game at the free-throw line with four makes in the final 30 seconds.

The first quarter featured a barrage of early 3s: Primus and Izzy Like traded triples to open scoring, and Primus added a couple more buckets as North Knox led 12-6. North Knox held a 14-8 advantage before Mater Dei’s zone began to disrupt the Warriors’ rhythm; Leah Heldman hit a 3 with 33 seconds left and Like followed with a trey at the 3-second mark to pull the Wildcats even at 14-14 at the end of the first quarter.

Middle-quarter momentum shifted several times. Like scored on a drive to give Mater Dei its first lead with 7:41 showing, and Roselyn Armes answered for North Knox with a three-point play at the 5:39 mark to regain the lead. A five-minute scoring drought then stalled the Warriors’ offense, and Mater Dei grinded through long possessions that kept the game tight through three quarters.

Trailing for much of the final three quarters, North Knox’s late surge began with LeRoy’s first long-range strike to knot the game at 3 1/2 minutes left. After Mater Dei missed and fouled late, Primus knocked down two free throws with 30 seconds remaining. Roselyn Armes followed with an offensive rebound on a drive by Like, and Primus was fouled again, sinking two more free throws with 14 seconds left. Following Mater Dei’s next miss, North Knox ran out the clock to secure the 48-42 victory.

The win gave North Knox its eighth regional title and marked the Lady Warriors’ first regional crown since 2023, when this year’s seniors were freshmen. Mater Dei finishes the season at 20-5; a regional report also noted, verbatim, “the teams first sectional title since 2020,” a phrasing that appears in postgame coverage of the Wildcats’ season.

Game reports differ on the published game date: one broadcast package carrying highlights is dated Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, while local print coverage referred to the game as occurring on Saturday. North Knox, the No. 4 seed, will advance in the Class 2A postseason after upending No. 5 Evansville Mater Dei, while Mater Dei’s 20-5 campaign ends with a close regional championship loss.

“We knew we needed someone to hit shots, and we weren’t down by much. I took it with confidence,” LeRoy said. “That shot (from the Washington game) didn’t go through my mind. I was just doing what I could to help us win. I’m so happy to win this for our seniors.”