Royals win Murph Classic, finish 3rd in Gateway Classic, get 1,200th win in school history

 

Chris O'Hearn's Mason County team finished its pre-Christmas slate by winning the Mike Murphy Classic. The Royals beat pesky Augusta 74-63 in the semi-finals, led by a career-high 20 points from senior guard Ryan Johnson. Then 24 hours later, Mason upended Madison Central in the championship game, with Dorian Henry's 27 points & 9 rebounds leading the way. Two days after Christmas, Mason County began play in Montgomery County's Gateway Holiday Classic, where the team would finish 3rd. The Royals dominated Clinton County 79-57 in their first game, then fell for the first time this year to 12th Region power Lincoln County by a score of 51-49. Down 12 points with 3:36 left, the 6'6" Henry keyed a Royals' comeback that came up just short. Henry finished with 18 points & 14 boards. Mason County then defeated the hosts in an Overtime consolation game, 72-63. Henry was named to the All-Tournament Team, along with Antwavon Williams. The win over the Indians was the 1,200th victory in the Royals storied history.

Eagles get healthy, win 5 games in 9 days

 

Scott not only snapped a 5-game losing streak, but the Eagles won 5 straight, starting with wins on consecutive nights in the consolation bracket of the Mike Murphy Classic. Scott took care of Ryle 76-61 and then avenged an earlier loss to Harrison County, winning 70-59. After Christmas, the Eagles went 3-1 in the Lloyd Memorial Invitational, but most importantly the team welcomed the return of senior guard Blake Schneider. Scott opened the tournament by pounding Model 78-34, then beat Boone County 80-65. In the semi-final round, sophomore Jake Ohmer poured in 51 points as the Eagles outlasted Stewart's Creek (TN) 87-80. Ohmer finished 19-29 from the floor, 5-6 from beyond the arc, & 8-14 at the charity stripe. In the championship game versus Holmes, Brad Carr's bunch led 43-41 at intermission, but the Bulldogs overwhelmed the Eagles in the 2nd half, en route to a 93-77 victory. Ohmer scored 24 in the contest, with Schneider adding 21.

 

Defending champs fall, then win 3

 

A highly anticipated Mike Murphy Classic championship game with Mason County was put on hold when Campbell County fell to Madison Central in the December 22nd semi-finals. The Camels trailed by 15 at the half and made a strong comeback, but ultimately fell short in a 63-60 defeat. Matt Wilson finished with 17 points & 13 rebounds, with Dre Jackson's 23 points topping all Camels scorers. The Camels dispatched Augusta 76-62 in the 3rd place game, with Wilson going for 19 points & 16 rebounds and Blake Losey scoring 18 points. Four days after Christmas, Aric Russell's club got a 62-59 road victory against Amelia (OH). With Wilson battling foul trouble, Losey and Jackson led the way with 19 and 18 points respectively. Wilson was strong the next night, scoring 17 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, & swatting 5 blocks in a 58-53 road win against St. Henry.

 

Clark finishes 3rd in Berea Tournament

 

George Rogers Clark participated in the Berea Invitational Tournament, starting the week on a great note by beating Carson Williams & Owen County 57-47. The Rebels entered the tournament undefeated & led GRC by as many as 16 points, but the Cardinals outscored the Rebels 41-23 in the 2nd half on the way to the win. Senior guard Damion King paced GRC with 27 points. Clark upended Russell County 74-59 in the next round before narrowly losing to West Jessamine in the semi-finals, 44-43. Playing again without Braxton Greene, King led the way with 21 points. Jordan Davis' shot in the waning seconds rolled off the rim and sent the Cardinals to the 3rd place game. In that consolation game, 10 Cards earned their way into the scoring column, led by King's 14 points, in a 55-53 win over Harlan County.

 

Indians host Gateway Classic, finish 1-2

 

Montgomery County again hosted the Gateway Holiday Classic after Christmas & started the tournament off on the right foot, defeating Madisonville 64-49 behind 19 points apiece from Art Walker & Sam Hodgsen. The duo combined to shoot 8-14 from the 3-point line. In Sunday's semi-finals, the Indians fell to Harrison County 52-45, despite getting 22 points & 12 assists from Caswell Fuller. In the 3rd place game, MoCo mounted a strong comeback against Mason County & sent the game into Overtime on a putback basket by Braxton Hopkins. But the Royals outscored the hosts 16-7 in the extra frame to win 72-63. For their efforts, Walker & Fuller were named to the All-Tournament Team.

 

Thorobreds go 3-2 in last 5

 

Larry Kendall's Harrison County team found itself in the consolation bracket of the Mike Murphy Classic and just edged Newport 61-60 three days before Christmas. In a game that featured 16 lead changes & 8 ties, the Breds came out on top led by Trenton Thompson's 22 points & 6 rebounds. The next night, Harrison trailed Scott by 1 at the half, but was outscored 27-12 in the 3rd quarter, eventually losing 70-59. Thompson again led with 22 points, while Zack Pulliam added 18. After Christmas, the Thorobreds won their first two games in the Gateway Holiday Classic, beating Worthington Kilbourne (OH) 52-50 behind 19 & 5 from Thompson. The senior forward led the next night in a 52-45 win over Montgomery County. Thompson scored 20 points & snared 12 rebounds. The championship game pitted the Breds against Lincoln County, with the Patriots rolling to a convincing 81-52 win. Thompson again led Harrison County with 23 points. Senior forward Robbie Stroub added 10 points & 7 boards.

 

Polar Bears play 7 in 9 days

 

Austin Crawford and Bracken County took part in a pair of holiday tournaments in the last 9 days. Prior to Christmas, the Bears went 2-1 in Bellevue's Swauger Holiday Classic. Bracken took care of Dayton 69-53 in the opener, led by Crawford's 19 points & 11 rebounds. On the 23rd, Bracken County played twice, first losing a close one to Carroll County 56-54 and then handily beating Villa Madonna 71-38. Crawford went for 24 points, 9 rebounds, & 8 assists. Fellow sophomore Jacob Hamilton added 16 points & 6 rebounds in the win over the Blue Lightning. The Polar Bears went .500 in the Lloyd Invitational, opening with an 88-76 loss to Conner. Crawford scored 22, as did junior guard Kolton Williams. Jeremy Miles' team rebounded with a 77-69 win over Iroquois, as Crawford exploded for 42 points--his second 40-plus point game of the year. Crawford went for 31 points & 12 rebounds in a 75-64 loss to Woodford County. Then Bracken wrapped up 2014 with a 61-50 win over Model. Crawford played with the flu and scored 12, so Hamilton stepped up to lead Bracken with 16 points & 10 rebounds.

Panthers lose 5 of 6

 

Similar to last season, Augusta has followed a strong start with a tough stretch. Jason Hinson's squad lost twice in the Mike Murphy Classic--74-63 to Mason County and then 76-62 to Campbell County. While dropping both games, the Panthers had a respectable showing in each. The same could not be said when the Panthers started the Lloyd Invitational with a 74-40 loss to Boone County. Augusta followed that loss up with another defeat, this time to Model 66-62. Augusta's one win came in the third game of the Lloyd tourney, a 71-48 victory over Silver Grove. Junior forward Camryn Snapp scored 17 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Senior forward David Tucker added 14 in the win. Hinson's bunch ended the tournament by losing to Iroquois 62-53.

 

Pendleton battles injuries

 

Just as it seemed like Keaton Belcher's team was beginning to hit its stride, it gets stung by injuries. Pendleton County went 1-3 in the Berea Invitational Tournament, losing 63-55 to Harlan County in their opener. The Cats nipped Estill County in their second game, 50-49, led by 8th grader Dontaie Allen's 16 points & 7 rebounds. Pendleton lost in Overtime to Garrard County 59-58 in their third outing. Patrick McCain scored 17 points to lead PC, while big man Hunter Lea went for 14 points & 15 rebounds. Whitley County turned back the Wildcats 54-47 on Tuesday. Belcher's club has been dealing with various injuries, but the big loss is Allen, who very likely is done for the year after breaking his wrist.

 

Brossart finishes 3rd in Henry County tourney

 

Bishop Brossart seemed poised to celebrate Christmas with a road win over Holy Cross. The Stangs led the Indians 45-41 with 3:12 left in the game, but then the hosts rattled off a 10-0 run, eventually winning 53-50. Brossart lost its first game after Christmas too, 79-72 to Sayre in the opening round of the Henry County Invitational. But Mike Code's squad rebounded with a pair of wins, first dispatching Henry County, 61-50. Spencer Hackworth drained a quartet of 3-pointers and finished with 18 points to lead Brossart. The Mustangs won against Western Hills on New Year's Eve, defeating the Wolverines 66-42. Senior Jon Zink paced Brosssart with 18 points, while Hackworth added 15.

 

Sexton leads Bourbon in South Oldham tourney

Landon Sexton led Bourbon County to a 2-1 finish in the Coach Bob Classic at South Oldham. The senior guard scored 22 points on 5-5 3pt. shooting in the Colonels 65-52 win over Todd County Central. Sexton scored 22 again on Saturday, but Bourbon came up short against South Oldham 85-76. On Sunday, the Colonels trailed Gallatin County by 1 after 3 quarters, but outscored the Wildcats 24-16 in the final frame to win 60-53. Sexton led the way with 19, while senior forward Stephon Williams contributed a double-double of 12 points & 11 rebounds.

 

Other Notes

 

* Paris played just 1 game from December 22nd to the present. The Greyhounds put 3 players in double figures in a 54-44 win over visiting St. Patrick on December 23rd. James Clark led Paris with 17 points, Koebe Garrard had 15, & Jekobi Wells finished with 10.

 

* Silver Grove also participated in the Lloyd Invitational & managed to earn a win on the tourney's last day. The Trains upended Collegiate 50-40, led by Anthony Turcios' 15 points & Christian Pollitt's 14 points.

 

* Roger Newton's Nicholas County team traveled to Greenup County after Christmas to play in the Stultz Pharmacy Holiday Classic. The Jackets were rudely welcomed by Elliott County in the opening game, falling to the Lions 78-41. Nicholas came back the next game, however, and upended Robertson County 69-56. Elijah Barnett led the Bluejackets with 17 points, while Ben Duncan contributed 16. Nicholas ended the tournament with an 88-86 2OT victory over Allen Central on New Year's Eve. The Jackets had 3 players with 20 points or more in the game: Devin Trussell led with 27, Dillon Webb dropped 22, & Duncan added 20.

 

* Playing in the Bryan Cook classic, Calvary Christian lost a pair of games. The Cougars first fell 80-28 to Middletown Madison, despite getting 17 points from sophomore Aikeem Riley. Calvary's second loss was a tough one, as the team led Williamstown 31-25 at halftime, but the Demons clawed back to tie the game at 43 after 3 quarters & eventually pulled away for a 56-52 win.

 

* Matthew Taylor's St. Patrick Saints went 0-5 in the games they played December 22nd-31st. The Saints battled Paris hard two days before Christmas, but lost 54-44. Two days after Christmas, St. Pat lost an Overtime battle on the road against Fairview, 52-45. Andrew Sticklen was solid in both games, going for 23 & 13 against Paris, followed by 14 & 16 against Fairview. The Saints then went 0-3 in the Henry County Invitational, losing to DeSales, Western Hills, & Henry County.

 

* Robertson County got a December 22nd victory over Latin by a score of 67-42. Freshman Mason Burden continued his strong play with a team-high 23 points & 8 rebounds. Dawson Cooper added 18 points in the win. After Christmas, the Black Devils took part in Greenup County's Stultz Pharmacy Holiday Classic. Robertson opened with a 67-47 loss to West Carter, with Cooper's 23 tops on the team. Junior guard Cameron Bowles scored 20 in Robertson's next loss, to Nicholas County, 69-56. In a 74-61 loss to Allen Central, Burden & Bradley Highfield both scored 18.

 

10th Region Top 10

 

1. Mason County (10-1)

2. Campbell County (10-2)

3. George Rogers Clark (8-3)

4. Paris (8-2)

5. Scott (8-6)

6. Harrison County (7-6)

7. Montgomery County (5-6)

8. Augusta (9-6)

9. Bishop Brossart (5-5)

10. Bracken County (6-8)

GRC's Damion King was named to the All Tourney team of the Berea Classic where he averaged 20.5 points per game in the event.

Big 40th District matchup on Tuesday at Paris for GRC.

Big 40th District matchup on Tuesday at Paris for GRC.

 

Big game.

 

#1 visits #2 that night as well.

Big 40th District matchup on Tuesday at Paris for GRC.

 

Big game.

 

#1 visits #2 that night as well.

 

Which game will be the better game?

^ Tough call, but I'd say Mason/Campbell.

^ Tough call, but I'd say Mason/Campbell.

 

 

These will be huge games for all teams involved and could potentially shake up the top of the 10th depending on the outcomes.

^ Tough call, but I'd say Mason/Campbell.

 

I disagree.

 

:cool:

Which game will be the better game?

 

The GRC/Paris game is the most important, because getting the 1seed in the 40th will be huge.

The GRC/Paris game is the most important, because getting the 1seed in the 40th will be huge.

 

Agree.

The GRC/Paris game is the most important, because getting the 1seed in the 40th will be huge.

 

It's definitely the most important game of the two.

Most important doesn't always mean best game.

 

I think MaCo @ Campbell will be the better game because I believe they both play an up tempo style that appeals to me. I'm sure if I had a stronger interest in one of the teams in these games that would be another factor as well. But for a basketball fan with no interest other than watching a game Mason Campbell for me. :thumb:

Most important doesn't always mean best game.

 

I think MaCo @ Campbell will be the better game because I believe they both play an up tempo style that appeals to me. I'm sure if I had a stronger interest in one of the teams in these games that would be another factor as well. But for a basketball fan with no interest other than watching a game Mason Campbell for me. :thumb:

 

To the bolded, you would love to watch GRC. Little, gritty and pushes the ball. They are fun to watch....expect when the offense turns cold....

Most important doesn't always mean best game.

 

I think MaCo @ Campbell will be the better game because I believe they both play an up tempo style that appeals to me. I'm sure if I had a stronger interest in one of the teams in these games that would be another factor as well. But for a basketball fan with no interest other than watching a game Mason Campbell for me. :thumb:

 

I am biased, but the GRC and Paris game will be up tempo, too.

To the bolded, you would love to watch GRC. Little, gritty and pushes the ball. They are fun to watch....expect when the offense turns cold....

 

We need to come out strong in the 3rd quarter!!!!!!!!!