Finn Louden wasn’t sure whether Thursday’s 34 points against Beechwood was a career high.
What was certain: Conner’s junior guard led his team to a 70-66 win at Bill Warfield Court.
“I think I had somewhere in the 30s last year, but it’s a season high at least,” Louden said. “I think I was getting to the rim really well, I was knocking down my free throws, just making a lot of shots. I was hot.”
Beechwood coach Ross Hart said Louden hurt the Tigers from under the rim to the perimeter.
“We have to respect his 3-point shot,” Hart said. “When we went zone, he seemed to find the ball and hurt us there. Then we were in man, he was able to get downhill and get to the rim and finish out the basket.”
Conner coach Nate Browning could’ve told you as much.
“The guy plays with such effort,” Browning said. “He’s all over the place …He gives you everything he has every second he’s in the game.”
Equally noteworthy was the job Conner’s Chase Huff did against Beechwood’s Jack Sullivan down the stretch. Yes, Sullivan led the Tigers with 18 points, but Huff held him to just four in the fourth quarter.
Huff usually defends against the other team’s leading scorer. In Tuesday’s 68-64 win over Dixie Heights, he held the Colonels’ Griffen Derry to 16 points, just under three less than his average.
“It makes me a better overall player,” Huff said. “… (Sullivan’s) a great player – he can shoot, and he’s big. He can post me up, so I was just trying to make him dribble, but also make him shoot more jumpers than layups.”
PHOTO SLIDESHOW: Beechwood-Conner (provided by Charles Bolton)
Beechwood (4-2) dropped its second straight. Carson Blackburn was next on the Tigers’ scoresheet with 17 points, Ayden Way had 13, and Kingston Brockett added 11.
“When our point guard (Blackburn), who averages 17 a game, gets two fouls in the first three minutes, that’s going to put you in some difficult circumstances,” Hart said. “But I thought we really handled their press really well.
“Ironically enough it was the half-court where we really struggled and turned the ball over.”
Thursday’s first quarter was noticeable for the turnovers – Beechwood had three in less than two minutes. It didn’t hurt the Tigers as much as it could have because Way knocked down a 3, and Brockett added a pair of free throws.
For a little more than three minutes of the first quarter, Conner’s (3-3) offense was Louden clear – his five points led a 7-0 run that gave the Cougars a 9-5 lead.
Sullivan first points came on a three with 4:33 to go in the first, which tied the score at 11.
After Louden’s five points, Huff’s two and Tyler Warner’s one helped Conner to a 24-19 lead early in the second stanza, Sullivan drove past Louden for a bucket and knocked down a 3 seconds after Louden tried to plow through three Tiger defenders.
A late second-quarter play was a good example of Conner’s improving on-court communication. With 1:46 to go before halftime, Huff’s inbounds pass found Louden, who hit a 3 from the right wing.
After Blackburn’s fadeaway jumper from the free throw line pulled Beechwood to with 57-56, the Tigers allowed Louden a pair of uncontested in-the-paint layups.
Blackburn’s triple closed Conner’s lead to 68-66, but Brady Bushman sealed the win with a pair of free throws with 5.1 seconds left.
Conner has three games in the Scott Winter Classic: Whitehall-Yearling (Columbus, Ohio) at 2 p.m. Saturday, Mason County at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, and Withrow at 12:30 p.m. Monday. Beechwood meets Oldham County in the Stockyards Bank Classic at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Rowan County.
COUGARS 70, TIGERS 66
BEECHWOOD — 15-18-13-20 – 66
CONNER — 16-18-17-19 – 70
Beechwood (66) — Blackburn 17, Way 13, Brockett 11, Sullivan 18, McCormack 7. 3-Pt. FG: 7 (Way 3, Blackburn 2, Brockett, Sullivan). FT: 13-16. Fouls: 18. Fouled out: Way.
Conner (70) — Huff 14, Bushman 4, Abousaleh 6, Back 2, T. Warner 5, Louden 34, L. Warner 3, Price 2. 3-Pt. FG: 7(Louden 4, Huff, Abousaleh, T. Warner). FT: 16-18.Fouls: 20. Fouled out: None. Records: Beechwood 4-2, Conner 3-3.