Known as one of Dunbar’s best teams ever, the 1959 Dunbar Bearcats Basketball Team posted a 34-3 record in only the second year of integrated sports in Lexington. This stood as one of the best records in Dunbar’s storied basketball history. The Bearcats beat a star-studded Lafayette team in the 1959 11th Region Tournament finals to earn a berth in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) Sweet 16 Tournament. Guided by the legendary Coach S.T. Roach, this Dunbar team placed 3rd in the KHSAA Sweet 16 Tournament, making them the first all-black team to advance to the semifinals of the state tournament. The Bearcats ended the season ranked #1 in the state by the Kentucky Press.
Head Coach: Sanford T. Roach
Assistant Coach: Norman L. Passmore
Team Managers: Frank Roberts and James Marks
Players: Julius Berry, Ulysses Berry, Don Cunningham, Henry Jones, Preston Logan, Edward McDowell, Felix Scruggs, William Smothers, Thomas Allen, John Thomas, Herbert Washington, Richard Williams, and James Young
Cheerleaders: Arnetta Arthur, Delores Williams Dumas, Mattie Hughes Fife, Marilyn Hayden, Sylvia Jenkins, and Carolyn Masby
