The short-handed Northern Kentucky women’s basketball team faced the defending league champions to start Horizon League play Saturday. The Norse battled visiting Cleveland State, but another tough start left them with another loss. The Vikings outscored the Norse, 18-7 in the first quarter and came away with a 72-60 win at Truist Arena. Cleveland State […]
Author Archives: G. Michael Graham
Mike Graham covers sports for LINK nky
Posted inBasketball
Cooper girls stymie Assumption with relentless pressure defense
Not enough can be said about the commitment to defense from the two-time defending 9th Region champion Cooper Jaguars girls basketball team. The Jaguars make every pass, shot and even dribble tough with their relentless man-to-man on-ball pressure, which includes unexpected double teams at various parts of the court. If anything is off by even […]
Posted inBasketball
Thursday NKY prep hoops roundup: Senior-laden Boone County boys use defense to best Highlands
The Boone County Rebels had high hopes entering the season with a senior-laden squad. The experience has paid off so far as host Boone County handled Highlands, 82-60. That marked Boone County’s first win over Highlands since a 67-50 win on Dec. 1, 2017. “We’ve got some guys that have stepped up and been leaders,” […]
Posted inBasketball
Ryle runs away from Simon Kenton in season opener
The Ryle girls basketball team knew it had three solid returning starters entering the season. If Wednesday’s season opener is any indicator, they may have more depth than they thought. The Raiders dismantled reigning 8th Region champion Simon Kenton 72-45, outscoring the Pioneers 39-20 in the second half. “They went into halftime talking about things. […]
Posted inCollege
NKU women drop two in Daytona Beach
The Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team ventured south for the holiday weekend to play in the Daytona Beach Classic and came back with a pair of losses. The Pittsburgh Panthers jumped up on the Northern Kentucky in the first quarter and never looked back in a convincing 88-57 win on Friday. Pittsburgh (2-5) led […]
Posted inFootball
Cooper holds off Highlands in crazy end to state semifinal game
These are the decisions that make coaches heroes or scapegoats. Cooper had a 4th-and-inches at the Highlands 17-yard-line and unsuccessfully tried to draw the Bluebirds offsides. After a timeout, the coaching staff sent Carson Taylor in to try to put the Jaguars ahead. He ended up making the kick to lift the Cooper Jaguars to […]
Posted inBasketball
37th District boys basketball preview: Can Scott end Campbell County’s reign?
For the last decade, Campbell County celebrated every district tournament championship. The last time the Purple and Gold were not atop the 37th District was in 2013 when Bishop Brossart won it. Aric Russell guided the Camels to those championships. Russell retired in the offseason, but the expectation has not changed after promoting assistant Brent […]
Posted inBasketball
Girls 37th District preview: Campbell County returns most experience
The home team won each of the three district seed games during the regular season meaning a draw decided the district tournament pairings. The Scott Eagles wound up being the beneficiary of the bye into the championship game earning one of the two spots in the 10th Region Tournament in Eric Pouncy’s first season as […]
Posted inFootball
Highlands, Cooper meet for unsurprising rematch in Class 5A semifinals
The Highlands Bluebirds and Cooper Jaguars football teams came into the season with high expectations and have lived up to them. Therefore, it is not a surprise the District 6 rivals are meeting for the second time this season with a lot more on the line when they battle for a spot in the Class […]
Posted inBasketball
Girls 35th District Preview: Notre Dame, Holy Cross could once again have big battles for crown
The rival Notre Dame Pandas and Holy Cross Indians had two big battles last year, splitting them. Holy Cross ended a nine-game losing streak in the series with a 37-29 win during the regular season. Notre Dame responded to win its fifth straight district championship, edging Holy Cross, 53-49 in the championship game. The two […]