It is the movie that has been played in the Ninth Region girls basketball tournament a number of times over the years. The Ryle Raiders girls basketball team (23-8) builds a lead in the first half then either pulls away in the second half or finds ways to keep it on the way to another […]
Author Archives: G. Michael Graham
Mike Graham covers sports for LINK nky
Posted inBasketball
Notre Dame uses size, length to knock off St. Henry in 9th Region Quarterfinals
No one doubted the Notre Dame Pandas had the size advantage in the Ninth Region Quarterfinal battle against the St. Henry Crusaders on Sunday at Truist Arena. St. Henry (18-13) tried to slow the pace down taking good shots in order to have a chance at the win. It worked for a half before Notre […]
Posted inSports
Ninth Region Boys Preview: Field wide-open this year
The song by the Corrs called, “Leave Me Breathless” may have come out in 2000. But the title can still be used for motivation, especially this year’s Ninth Region Boys Basketball Tournament where a number of teams could win it. The players that do it for their teammates, coaches, fans and supporters the most consistently […]
Posted inBasketball
Northern Kentucky women headed to Youngstown State for Horizon League Quarterfinals
The regular season did not end for the Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team (16-13) the way the Norse desired in a 79-76 loss to the Oakland Grizzlies (13-16) at Truist Arena. The good news is all the inconsistencies that led to a 10-10 finish in Horizon League play can be forgotten with a magical […]
Posted inBasketball
Girls Ninth Region Preview: Cooper the target in a talented field
The talk in the preseason and all throughout the regular season has been about the defending Ninth Region champs and the team that has been the region’s standard for the last seven-plus seasons. They both happen to be located in the same town five miles from each other in Union. During the regular season and […]
Posted inBasketball
Cooper makes history as boys follow up girls with 33rd District crown for first time in school history
Tim Sullivan and a number of the players watched the state’s third-ranked Cooper Jaguars girls basketball team led by head coach Justin Holthaus, one of his former assistants, down the Union rival Ryle Raiders, 61-48 for the second straight 33rd District championship on Thursday at the home gym. About 24 hours later, the Jaguars boys […]
Posted inBasketball
Boys basketball District Championship roundup: Simon Kenton, Lloyd Memorial claim titles
The Simon Kenton Pioneers (21-10) did everything possible to earn the top seed in the rugged 32nd District Tournament, winning all three district seed games knowing the postseason would take place on their home Joe Stark Memorial Gymnasium. But when the postseason came around, the Pioneers did not just want to make it back to […]
Posted inBasketball
NKY girls hoops district tournament roundup: Dixie Heights, Highlands win titles
The Dixie Heights Colonels (25-7 overall) won their ninth straight 34th District championship with a 68-41 win over the host St. Henry Crusaders (18-12) on Thursday. Dixie Heights put four players in double figures. Senior guard Ella Steczynski led the way scoring 16 points with freshman guard Coralee Pelfrey scoring 13. Freshman guard Aubrey Elkins […]
Posted inCollege
Northern Kentucky women trounce Detroit for 10th Horizon League win of season
The Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team (16-12) knew it could either finish fifth earning a bye into the Horizon League quarterfinals or play host to a first-round game as the sixth seed entering the final two games of the regular season. The Norse took a big step toward that fifth seed with a convincing […]
Posted inBasketball
Cooper girls upend Ryle for second straight 33rd District crown
Only one Ninth Region team came within single-digits of the favored Cooper Jaguars girls basketball team (26-3) during the regular season. The Ryle Raiders (22-8) had their chances until the end in a 63-58 defeat on Jan. 13 at Cooper. The two met again Thursday for the 33rd District championship on the same floor Cooper […]
