Newport is starting to look whole again.
With Keegan Farrell back on the floor after taking a year away from basketball and Amontae Lowe returning after missing two games due to a concussion, the Wildcats put together a strong showing at the Scott Winter Classic, edging Cooper 68–66 in the LINK nky Game of the Week presented by Mr. Kentucky and Skyline Chili.
“It feels great,” Lowe said. “Most of all, I’m proud of the team for bouncing back after two straight losses.”
Farrell (6-foot-5, 230 pounds), playing in just his second game of the season, scored 13 points as Newport leaned on his presence inside. Sean Hurry added another interior option off the bench with 10 points.
Lowe delivered a season-high 33 points in his first game back, earning Skyline Chili Player of the Game honors. He finished 12-of-19 from the field, 5-of-8 from three-point range, and added five rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
On a young Newport roster, Lowe’s return has also brought leadership back to the floor. When underclassmen checked into the game, head coach Rod Snapp frequently reminded Lowe to “talk.”
“It’s very important,” Lowe said. “I’ve been around the block. I’ve been playing since eighth grade, so I know the way. I try to teach the young guys what to do and lift them up if they do something wrong.”
Cooper, which earned its first win of the season the night before with a 60–57 victory over Paintsville, never went away.
Trailing 64–52 in the fourth quarter, the Jaguars forced turnovers and capitalized at the free-throw line to claw back, eventually tying the game at 66.
Julienne Knuckles led Cooper with 20 points, while Cole Stanton added 15 and Elijah Philpot chipped in 12.
Despite the loss, the late rally reflected the progress Cooper has shown eight games into the season.
“Early on we were trying to figure out who we were as a group, and over the last two weeks I feel like we’re starting to gel,” Cooper head coach Justin Holthaus said. “We knew it was going to be a process. The biggest thing tonight is they continued to fight. There was no letdown. As a coach, that’s all you can ask for.”
Newport led at the end of each quarter — 15–11 after the first, 34–26 at halftime and 47–44 after the third — but the outcome was decided in the final three seconds.
After Hurry put the Wildcats ahead, Cooper inbounded the ball down two with a chance to tie or win, but never got a shot off. Lowe came away with the steal and tossed the ball into the air as time expired.
The win came one day after Newport suffered a 24-point loss to Simon Kenton.
“Kids had character and played with pride,” Snapp said. “They stayed positive, fought for each other and did a good job. That’s all we asked for. Cooper’s a dangerous team. They don’t seem like a 1–7 team. They’re going to get a lot better.”
Newport (4–2) faces a quick turnaround after Christmas.
“Starting Saturday, we play four games in a row,” Snapp said. “We play at Xavier against Lebanon, then three straight games in the Swauger Holiday Classic at Bellevue.”
The Wildcats will face Evangel Christian at 5 p.m. Sunday, Boone County at 3 p.m. Monday and Heritage at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Cooper (1–7) heads to the Ashland Invitational Tournament beginning Saturday, opening play against Henry Clay at 4 p.m.
“It’ll be good for the kids to get away for Christmas,” Holthaus said. “Celebrate with their families, don’t think about basketball, and when we come back, we’ll focus on that next step.”
MORE PHOTOS: Provided by Charles Bolton
WILDCATS 68, JAGUARS 66
NEWPORT — 15-19-13-21 — 68
COOPER — 11-15-18-22 — 66
Scoring
Newport (68) — Lowe 33, Farrell 13, Hurry 10, L. Petty 5, Andrews-Glover 4, Jackson 3
Cooper (66) — Knuckles 20, Stanton 15, Philpot 12, Cameron 8, Hartman 6, Campbell 5
Game Stats
Field Goals: Newport 28/44, Cooper 22/51
3-Pointers: Newport 8/11, Cooper 6/23
Free Throws: Newport 4/14, Cooper 16/19
Rebounds: Newport 26, Cooper 26
Assists: Newport 17, Cooper 17
Turnovers: Newport 17, Cooper 17
Steals: Newport 7, Cooper 7
Blocks: Newport 2, Cooper 2
Fouls: Newport 17, Cooper 17
Records: Newport 4-2, Cooper 1-7