Athens McGillis describes his basketball game as “shifty.”
Covington Catholic’s senior guard added another word on Friday against Beechwood: overpowering. He scored 30 points in the Colonels’ 74-45 running-clock win in the LINK nky Game of the Week presented by Skyline/Mr. Kentucky.
“I just think I move so well,” McGillis said. “I say that with all the humble, humble that I have, so I just feel like I’ve worked on it enough. So yeah, I think I’m shifty.”
McGillis’ line was impressive: 10-of-14 from the field, 6-of-8 from 3-point range, three rebounds, four assists and four steals in 24 minutes’ playing time.
CovCath coach Jake Thelen expected a good night.
“Yeah, you can see it in his face,” Thelen said. “But I always say this: He had four great days of practice, and he had a great shoot-around (Friday afternoon). So when you have great days of practice, you should expect to play well.”
As if facing the Colonels – ranked fourth in the ‘Elite 16’ statewide media poll – wasn’t challenge enough, the Tigers (10-4, 0-1 in the 35th District) were missing their second-leading scorer, senior Owen McCormack, who injured an elbow Wednesday, and No. 3 Ryan Smith, who broke his nose less than two minutes into the game.
“So you’re looking at two of your top three … out, just like that, on the road at CovCath,” Beechwood coach Ross Hart said. “It doesn’t make for good results.”
Good thing Beechwood senior guard Quentin Knasel, who transferred from CovCath, had a good night – his 24 points included 9-of-14 from the field and 3-of-5 from 3-point range.
Beechwood out-rebounded CovCath (14-1, 1-0), 26-23, and got 12 points off its bench to the Colonels 5, but not a lot else went right. The Colonels: scored 30 points off turnovers to the Tigers’ two; hit nine 3s to Beechwood’s four; and outscored the Tigers in the paint, 34-22.
The Tigers hung around for most of the first quarter – Knasel’s nine points kept things close at 12-9, and Beechwood trailed, by just 19-13 after eight minutes on McGillis’ 3.
A second-quarter sequence illustrated how CovCath started to run away: Teegan Stava’s steal and pass to Cash Harney, who found McGillis ahead of everybody for the layup and a 25-17 lead.
McGillis, meanwhile, was just warming up. His 11 of the Colonels’ final 13 points included three 25-foot 3s.
“As soon as he crosses half-court, he’s in range,” Thelen said.
Beechwood never recovered – the Tigers didn’t score the final 3:50 of the half and didn’t score again until Dylan Topmiller’s 3 two minutes into the third quarter.
Thelen, however, was not exactly enamored with the defense.
“No, I don’t think we played a great game,” he said. “I thought we were great in spurts. I don’t think we were great for a full 32 minutes.”
While Hart said CovCath’s press kept the Tigers from getting into their half-court offense, he earned a technical foul for complaining to officials about what he thought was the Colonels frequently grabbing Topmiller’s jersey.
“They get up in you, and they held No. 14’s (Topmiller’s) jersey the entire time, and I got a technical for pointing that out while they’re holding the jersey,” Hart said. “But, you know, I can only do so much; they’ve got to call it.”
CovCath’s Donovan Bradshaw and Braeden Myrick (who was honored for scoring his 1,000th career point this week), each scored 12 points, and Harney added 11.
Beechwood meets Heritage Academy in the Ninth Region All “A” tournament Monday at Holy Cross, and CovCath continues district play Tuesday at Holmes.
MORE PHOTOS: Slideshow provided by Charles Bolton
COLONELS 74, TIGERS 45
BEECHWOOD — 13-9-11-12 – 45
COV. CATHOLIC — 19-29-18-8 – 74
Beechwood (45) — Knasel 24, Coppage 2, Yeager 3, Stiles 1, Topmiller 8, Moore 7. 3-Pt. FG: 4 (Knasel 3, Moore). FT: 7-12. Rebounds: 26 (Stiles 6, Brockett 4). Fouls: 13. Fouled out: None. Technical foul: Beechwood coach Ross Hart. Turnovers: 17.
Covington Catholic (74) — McGillis 30, Harney 11, Gaiser 3, Bradshaw 12, Myrick 12, Courtney 2, Stava 4. 3-Pt. FG: 9(McGillis 6, Myrick 2, Bradshaw). FT: 11-16. Rebounds: 23 (Bradshaw 8, McGillis 3). Fouls: 15. Fouled out: None. Turnovers: 3.
Records: Beechwood 10-3 (0-1 in 35th District), Covington Catholic 14-1 (1-0)