The Walton-Verona and Newport boys basketball teams won their first round All “A” State Tournament games at The Corbin Arena. Here’s how they went down:
Walton-Verona 65, Augusta 39
The Bearcats outscored the Panthers, 36-19 in the second and third quarters to pull away and advance to Friday’s quarterfinals.
“We started out sluggish – tight game early on,” Walton-Verona head coach Mike Hester said. “We started to lock in defensively. We were able to hold them to 4-of-20 from the three, which was our game plan going in. Then we made some shots to extend the lead.”
Walton-Verona nearly put four players in double figures. Aaron Gutman led the way scoring 20 points with Max Montgomery and Zach Smith following with 19 and 14, respectively. Julian Dixon nearly had a double-double grabbing 14 rebounds to go with eight points.
“We just kept running (in transition). They eventually wore down,” Montgomery said. “All we do in the offseason is keep running. It helped us out because the court is a little longer. That extra couple of feet might not seem like a difference, but it kicks in for people. For us, it felt good.”
Augusta senior Kylan Hinson nearly had a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds.
The Bearcats (15-6) take on the second ranked team in the state in Lyon County back at Corbin at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.
Newport 45, Sayre 42
The Wildcats hit 50% from the field and knocked down 9-of-12 free throws to pull off the narrow victory.
DeShaun Jackson led Newport with 13 points and Jabari Covington scored nine as seven different Wildcats scored. Jackson also added four steals and four assists as he hit 6-of-9 shot attempts. Taylen Kinney saw limited action coming back from an injury.
In a defensive battle, no one led by more than six in the contest while the Wildcats held the Spartans to 36% shooting from the field.
Newport (18-3) takes on Danville Christian on Friday back in Corbin in the quarterfinals at 5 p.m.
Boys Basketball
Boone County 67, Mason County 60
The Rebels recorded a huge home victory over the Royals.
Thomas Williams put up 32 points on 13-of-22 shooting and Mason Hall scored 16. Boone County jumped out to a lead as much as 21 in the second half and hung on from there.
Boone County (14-5) travels to Holmes on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
Villa Madonna 53, Calvary Christian 34
The Vikings picked up a home win behind Henry Thole’s 18 point, 22 rebound performance.
Aiden Day added 14 points while Tommy Wenning went 3-of-5 from deep for nine points.
Calvary Christian was held to 25% shooting and were outrebounded, 47-37. Race Zachary led the Cougars with 12 points, Peyton Morris chipping in 10.
Villa Madonna (8-11) hosts Dixie Heights on Wednesday in a 34th District matchup at 7:30 p.m.
The Cougars (6-16) host Cincinnati Warriors Homeschool team out of Finneytown, Ohio on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
Other Boys Basketball Scores
Conner 55, Beechwood 52
Dixie Heights 61, Newport Central Catholic 52
Girls Basketball
Cooper 52, Central 41
The Jaguars handled the Louisville opponent in the Republic Bank Louisville Invitational Tournament at Valley High.
Liz Freihofer led the way scoring 26 points, hitting 8-of-9 free throws and Haylee Noel added eight.
Cooper won the rebounding battle, 29-24 including a 12-4 advantage on the offensive glass. The Jaguars outscored Central, 11-2 in second chance points.
Cooper (18-3) has won 15 in a row. The Jaguars play No. 1 ranked in the state Sacred Heart at 10 a.m. Saturday in the semifinals back at Valley.
Sacred Heart 66, Simon Kenton 46
The Pioneers had no answer for Sacred Heart junior standout post ZaKiyah Johnson, who finished with 21 points, in the Republic Bank Louisville Invitational Tournament at Valley High.
Simon Kenton closed the gap to 41-35 with 2:31 left in the third quarter, but the three-time defending state champions went on an 18-3 run to pull away.
Brynli Pernell led the Pioneers with 18 points and Anna Kelch scored 13. Simon Kenton turned the ball over 19 times in the loss.
Simon Kenton (14-6) hosts Anderson County on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
Highlands 61, Newport 23
The Bluebirds won their 10th in a row in the 36th District matchup as 11 different players got into the scoring column.
Wiley Willis led the way with 11 points, Kasey Gross and Saylor Macke with eight apiece. Everyone else had between two and six points. Gross added 10 rebounds as they pulled down 49 in the contest.
Highlands (14-5) will look to make it 11 in a row when they take on Ryle at Truist Arena on Friday at 6 p.m. Newport (3-15) hosts Augusta on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
Lloyd Memorial 56, Beechwood 36
Sierra McCoin led the way with 21 points, knocking down three triples in the victory.
Maleah Ham added 11, Mya Holden-Hopkins with 10 and eight rebounds. Lloyd knocked down 13-of-17 free throw attempts in the victory.
The Juggernauts (7-11) will look for their first 34th District victory on Friday when they host Villa Madonna at 7:30 p.m.
Beechwood (5-14) was handed their seventh straight defeat. They’ll look to get back on the winning side on Friday when they host Louisville Collegiate at 6:30 p.m.
Other Girls Basketball Scores
Ludlow 60, Dayton 47
Henry County 43, Villa Madonna 27
