By sports reporter Terry Boehmker, NKyTribune
After Ryle’s boys basketball team lost to Conner 75-70 at home on January 24, their record fell to 6-9.
The Raiders must have been agitated by the defeat. With a 74-59 comeback victory over Conner in the 33rd District playoffs on Wednesday at Boone County, they maintained their winning streak, having won nine of their previous 11 regular season games.
With the win, Ryle guaranteed a spot in the 9th Region tournament and will play Cooper in the district final on Friday at 7 p.m.
In Friday’s game, Ryle senior forward Landon Lorms has a solid chance of breaking his team’s lifetime scoring record.
He currently has 1,495 points overall, nine higher than the team record of 1,503 established by 2003 alumnus Justin Doellman, according to historical data on the khsaa.org website.
In the victory over Conner, Lorms scored a game-high 27 points, increasing his season average to 22.6. Early in the second quarter, he scored 11 points during a 17-0 run that put the Raiders ahead 30-16.
Ryle junior guard Anthony Coppola scored the final seven points in the first half to give his side a 37-28 advantage at the intermission after Conner’s 12-0 run reduced the deficit to 30-28.
The Raiders led 54-39 after a 10-0 run at the end of the third quarter. Halfway through the fourth quarter, Conner closed the gap to within six points, 59-53, but Ryle pulled away once more to win.
Coppolla and junior AJ Davis both scored three 3-pointers as the Raiders made ten 3-point attempts. Coppola scored 15 points in the end, while senior Jonathan DeGroff scored 12. Junior Finn Loudon was Conner’s top scorer, scoring 14 of his 20 points in the first half.
Cooper, Lloyd, Dixie Heights, Covington Catholic, Holy Cross, Newport, and Highlands were the other boys’ basketball teams that secured their spots in the 9th Region tournament by winning their district semifinal games on Wednesday.
Walton-Verona qualified for the 8th Region tournament after defeating Grant County 53-47 in a 32nd District semifinal. In the Bearcats’ victory, senior guard Aaron Gutman crossed the 2,000-point milestone in his career scoring total.
Senior Zoee Meyers scored 27 points to help Brossart upset Campbell County 64-63 in overtime in the 37th District girls’ championship game. The Mustangs have won the district title and qualified for the 10th Region girls playoffs for the fourth time in five years.
Basketball district tournament finals
At Williamstown Girls, the thirty-second district Grant County vs. Simon Kenton, 7 p.m. Guys, Thursday Walton-Verona vs. Simon Kenton, 7 p.m. Friday
Girls in the 33rd District of Boone County Ryle vs. Cooper, Thursday, 7 p.m.Cooper vs. Ryle, boys, Friday, 7 p.m.
At Dixie High Girls, the 34th District St. Henry vs. Dixie Heights, 7 p.m. ThursdayBOYS Dixie Heights vs. Lloyd, 7 p.m. Friday
Holy Cross vs. Notre Dame, 35th District, Beechwood Girls, 7:30 p.m. ThursdayBOYS Holy Cross vs. Covington Catholic, 7 p.m. Friday
NEWPORT CENTRAL CATHOLICGIRLS’ 36TH DISTRICT Newport Central Catholic vs. Highlands, Thursday, 7 p.m.BOYS Highlands vs. Newport, Friday, 7 p.m.
37TH DISTRICT AT SCOTTBOYS Brossart vs. Campbell County, 7:30 p.m. Thursday
