All-in-one Sweet Sixteen superstar

Shown at left, Elliott County’s Ethan Faulkner goes flying after getting tripped up by Mason County’s Darius Miller and Russ Middleton during the Sweet Sixteen. (Photo by Charles Bertram)

Mason County standout Darius Miller was an obvious MVP choice for the Sweet Sixteen. He led the state tournament in points (77) and rebounds (34), and was the Royals’ go-to guy in the championship game victory over Holmes. The 6-foot-7 senior, who has signed with Kentucky, played much of the Sweet Sixteen under the watchful eye of his future coach, Billy Gillispie.

Plenty of other players distinguished themselves for one reason or another in Rupp Arena. If we could construct one superstar from the individual talents and attitudes, here’s what I’d take to create the ultimate hybrid high school player:

• The adept passing skills of Mason County’s Darius Miller.

• The smooth shooting stroke of Elliott County’s Jonathan Ferguson.

• The fiery-eyed intensity of Paintsville’s Landon Slone.

• The two-for-one savvy of Elliott County twins Ethan and Evan Faulkner.

• The rugged strength of Owensboro’s Brock Moorman.

• The baseline acrobatics of Lexington Catholic’s Taylor Stewart.

• The hops and finishing abililty of University Height’s Scotty Hopson.

• The all-out hustle of Hazard’s Josh Whitaker.

• The defensive tenacity of Holmes’ Arrez Henderson.

• The bloodlines of Shelby County’s Norris Beckley Jr.

• The long-range shooting eye of Jeffersontown’s Nick Gagel.

• The intimindating glare of Paducah Tilghman’s Isaac McClure.

• The love-sports spirit of Lincoln County’s Ryan Young.

• The ebullience and exuberance of Holmes’ Elijah Pittman.

• The quick first step of University Heights’ Tyshwan Edmondson.

• The all-around game of Mason County’s Russ Middleton.

• The thoughtful post-game quotes of Bardstown’s Logan Edelen..

Mason County crowned state champioin

Darius miller celebrates his team’s win and being named MVP

Photo by Mark Cornelison

 

ROYALS BEAT HOLMES 57-48

• Mason County was led by Sweet Sixteen MVP Darius Miller’s 24 points and 8 rebounds. It is the Royals’ second title in six years. Russ Middleton had 13 points and 5 rebounds. Keith Downing had 10 points. Holmes was led by Arrez Henderson’s 18 points, 9 rebounds. Mason County finishes 34-4; Holmes finishes 34-3.
• All-tournament team: Darius Miller (MVP), Russ Middleton and Ethan King of Mason County; Elijah Pittman, Arrez Henderson and Ricardo Johnson of Holmes; Coty Minnis and Tim Sanford of Shelby County; Taylor Stewart and Vee Sanford of Lexington Catholic; Isaac McClure of Paducah Tilghman; Josh Whitaker of Hazard; Landon Slone of Paintsville; Brock Moorman of Owensboro.
• Ted Sanford award: Landon Slone of Paintsville.
• Academic scholarships: Nick Gagel of Jeffersontown; Jackson Tolle of Mason County; LeeVaughn Morris of Central, and Logan Edelen of Bardstown.
• Victory is in Mason County’s grasp. It leads 57-46 with 26 seconds left.
• Timeout with 39 seconds left. Mason County will be at the foul line for 2 shots. It leads 53-46 with 39 seconds left.
• Mason County leads 52-46 with 46 seconds left and has the ball.
• Holmes’ Elijah Pittman’s three-pointer cuts Mason County’s lead to 51-45 with 2:11 left.
• Mason County is ahead 49-41 with 2:48 left. Holmes will have a free throw when time resumes. Darius Miller leads the Royals with 24 points, including 10 of 13 free throws, and 7 rebounds. Arrez Henderson has 18 and 8 for Holmes.
• Mason County had its lead trimmed to 6, but Darius Miller’s two free throws made it 47-39 with 3:50 left.
• Holmes is still alive. Arrez Henderson just completed a 3-point play to cut Mason County’s lead to 41-33 with 6:21 left.
• Mason County leads 41-27 heading into the fourth quarter. Darius Miller has been the go-to guy this half. He had 13 points in the third quarter and has 18 points and 6 rebounds for the night. Russ Middleton has 12 points. Holmes is having a miserable night shooting: 11-for-36 (31%) and is getting out-rebounded 30-16. Arrez Henderson has 13 points for the Bulldogs.
• Mason County’s second-half strategy is obvious: get the ball inside to 6-foot-7 Darius Miller. He’s scored 10 points in the third quarter on post-ups and free throws to give the Royals a 33-20 lead with 3:20 left in the period.
• Darius Miller scored the first 6 points of the second half, and Russ Middleton hit a driving layup after a turnover to give Mason County a 29-16 lead with 5:49 left in the third quarter.
• Halftime: Mason County 21, Holmes 16. Not exactly scintillating basketball. Neither team is shooting well. Mason County is 9-for-22 (40%); Holmes is 7-for-24 (29%). Russ Middleton and Keith Downing have 7 points apiece for Mason County. UK signee Darius Miller has 5 points and 4 rebounds. Arrez Henderson has 7 points and 3 boards for Holmes. Elijah Pittman has 6 points. The Bulldogs have only 2 turnovers; Mason County has 6.
• Mason County has regained the lead 20-16 with 2:21 left in the half. Darius Miller and Keith Downing combined for the Royals’ points in a 7-2 run.
• Arrez Henderson hit a three-pointer, then made a steal and a breakaway dunk to give Holmes its first lead of the night at 14-13 with 5:33 left in the half.
• Mason County leads 13-9 after one quarter. Russ Middleton, being guarded by Holmes’ defensive ace Arrez Henderson, has 7 points and 4 rebounds. Darius Miller has 2 points and 3 boards. Elijah Pittman’s 4 points lead Holmes, which is 4-for-13 shooting.
• Mason County is on top 9-5 at the media timeout break with 2:52 left in the first quarter. Russ Middleton has 5 points for Mason County. Darius Miller is scoreless. He’s missed his only field goal attempt and two free throws.
• Both teams open cold, combining to miss their first 6 shots. But Mason County finally broken the ice and leads 4-0 on baskets by Russ Middleton and Ethan King.
• The pre-game pomp is over — there were no fireworks or unveiling of the championship trophy this year.
• There’s a good crowd on hand in Rupp Arena, including UK Coach Billy Gillispie and UK freshman star Patrick Patterson.
• Mason County senior standout Trevor Setty will play in the title game. That’s a relief to the Royals. Mason County’s coaches were told just before 7 p.m. that Setty had been suspended for the finals because of his conduct in the Royals’ semifinals win over Shelby County. With 36.8 seconds left in that game, Mason County’s Ethan King was going in for a layup when he took an intentional foul from the Rockets’ Donovan Johnson. Setty, who was not in the game at that time, came off the bench and was several feet on the court before he was pulled back by a teammate. The referees huddled and decided not to disqualify Setty from the game. Later, however, KHSAA officials decided Setty should have to sit out the finals for leaving the bench. But upon further review, the KHSAA decided that a fight was not going to ensue, and Setty was cleared to play just before the team took the court for warmups.

Preview: Holmes (34-2) vs. Mason County (33-4)

Hear comments from Mason County star Darius Miller and Coach Chris O’Hearn after they beat Shelby County in the semifinals.
Hear Holmes Coach David Henley’s news conference, with comments from Holmes players, after their win over Lexington Catholic in the semifinals.

Darius Miller (left) will lead Mason County against Arrez Henderson (below) and Holmes in the title game of the 91st Sweet Sixteen Saturday at 8 p.m. in Rupp Arena

Mason County, rated No. 1 in the pre-season coaches’ poll, has made its way to the Sweet Sixteen championship game. It will face Holmes, which was rated 20th in the preseason, but has put together a spectacular year, highlighted by a come-from-behind win over tournament favorite Lexington Catholic in the semifinals.

This will be Holmes’ first appearance in the title game since it lost to Fairdale in 1990 in Freedom Hall. The Bulldogs were also state runners-up to Shelby County in 1978.

Mason County made back-to-back trips to the finals, winning the title in 2003 and finishing runner-up to Warren Central in ‘04. That ‘04 team was led by Chris Lofton, but a skinny eighth-grader named Darius Miller saw spot action in the finals for the Royals. Miller, of course, has grown into a 6-foot-7 star and UK signee. “That was a great experience (in ‘04), the atmosphere and everything, but I think it’ll be just as great tonight, especially with me having a bigger role on the team, and playing with guys I’ve grown up with.”

The Mason County-Holmes matchup should be intriguing. Neither team has much time to break down film or put together a comprehensive scouting report. But each team’s has watched the other three times this week, just in case they would meet. There is a connection, too. Holmes assistant Tim Sullivan was an assistant to Chris O’Hearn at Mason County a couple years ago. “We’ve got a little history together, and we’ve talked about how it’d be something if we hooked up on Saturday night, and here we are.”

O’Hearn knows his Royals will have its hands full with Holmes. “Defensively, they’re as good a team in the state of Kentucky there is. They’re so strong, and physical and athletic and take pride in defense. They make it tough to score. I know they’re looking forward to playing us and looking forward to guarding No. 21 (Miller). We’re going to see who wins that battle.”

Holmes’ defensive stopper is Arrez Henderson. He’s 6-foot and would be giving away 5 inches to Miller. But the Bulldogs’ Ricardo Johnson is also a solid defender and could get matched up against Miller.

For Holmes Coach David Henley, this appearance in the state finals comes 25 years after he played for Carlisle County in the championship game. The Comets lost to Henry Clay in triple-overtime in Rupp Arena. But Henley said his own memories are secondary to his players making their own memories tonight.

Final: Mason County 60, Shelby County 50

Hear postgame comments from Mason County star Darius Miller and Coach Chris O’Hearn.
Hear Shelby County Coach Coach Mike Clark’s postgame news conference.

• Mason County (33-4) has earned a spot in the finals against Holmes (34-2).
• Darius Miller had 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Royals. Ethan King added 18 points and Russ Middleton 14. Mason County hit 16 of 19 free throws.
• Shelby County was led by Coty Minnis’ 14 points and 5 rebounds. The Rockets shot 40% (18-for-45).
• If Shelby County had pulled an upset, it would’ve set up a 30th anniversary rematch with Holmes. They played in the 1978 state finals, with Shelby County winning in overtimer.
• It looks like Mason County is going to hang on. The Royals lead 58-49 with 36 seconds left.
• Tim Sanford’s three for Shelby County cuts the lead to 52-49, but seconds later Darius Miller hits an acrobatic shot in the lane, and adds a free throw to make it 55-49 with 1:07 left. Shelby County misses a three, Ethan King rebounds for the Royals and is fouled. He hits both free throws to put Mason County ahead 57-49 with 52 seconds left.
• Mason County is on top 52-46 after Keith Downing’s free throws. There’s 1:26 left in the game.
• Mason County has a fight on its hands. Its lead is down to 48-46 after Nigel Beach scores for Shelby County. There’s a timeout with 2:13 left.
• Mason County has its biggest lead of the day after Darius Miller’s soft dunk puts the Royals ahead 46-37 with 4:23 left.
• Russ Middleton’s buzzer-beating three-pointer put Mason County up 38-30 after three quarters. Middleton and Darius Miller have 12 points apiece. Miller also has 10 rebounds. Shelby County’s top scorers are Coty Minnis and Donovan Johnson with 8 points apiece.
• Mason County still hasn’t put Shelby County away. The Royals lead 33-25 with 2:45 left in the third quarter after a one-hand jam by Darius Miller, who has 12 points and 8 rebounds.
• Halftime: Mason County 22, Shelby County 19. Not many people expected this close of a game. Both teams are struggling offensively. Shelby County outscored Mason County 6-4 in the second quarter. UK signee Darius Miller has 8 points and 8 rebounds to lead the Royals, who are only 3-for-10 on threes after hitting 7 of their first 11 against Paducah Tilghman the night before. Coty Minnis has 6 points to lead Shelby County.
• Sluggish game here. Mason County holds a 20-17 lead with 2:35 left in the half. The teams are a combined 13-for-37 shooting. Not a lot of energy. UK Coach Billy Gillispie and former Cat (and former Minnesota Timberwolves coach) Dwane Casey are sitting together on press row)
• Mason County is ahead 16-15 at the end of the first quarter. Russ Middleton’s three-pointer gave the Royals the lead. Shelby County, a big underdog, is hanging in there. Cache Tomlinson’s 5 points lead the Rockets. Middleton has 6 for Mason County.
• Norris Beckley’s and Cache Tomlinson’s back-to-back three-pointers have helped Shelby County take a 15-11 lead with 2:24 left in the first quarter. Mason County, which opened red-hot in its rout of Paducah Tilghman Friday night, is 4-for-10 so far today.
• Ethan King’s three-point has put Mason County ahead 8-5 with 4:29 left in the first quarter.

Final: Holmes 57, Lexington Catholic 50

Hear Holmes Coach David Henley’s postgame news conference, with comments from Holmes players.
Hear Lexington Catholic Coach Brandon Salsman’s postgame news conference, with comments from players.

• Holmes has knocked off No. 1 LexCath, rallying from a 17-point deficit in the first half. Elijah Pittman’s 15 points led the Bulldogs. Arrez Henderson had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Holmes is in the finals for the first time since it lost to Fairdale in the 1990 title game. LexCath was led by Taylor Stewart’s 16 points and 11 rebounds.
• Holmes is sitting pretty. Arrez Henderson has added a free throw to the Bulldogs lead, which is 57-50 with just 13 seconds left. Holmes will be shooting 2 free throws when play resumes after a timeout.
• Braeon Avery stripped the ball from Taylor Stewart, was fouled and hit 2 free throws to give Holmes a 56-50 lead with 31 seconds left.
• Elijah Pittman’s layup gives Holmes a 54-50 lead with 42 seconds left.
• Taylor Botkin’s 2 free throws pull LexCath within 52-50 with 48 seconds left. Holmes calls timeout when it can’t get the ball in bounds.
• Holmes’ Elijah Pittman’s left-handed tip-in puts the Bulldogs up 52-48 with a minute left. LexCath has called timeout.
• LexCath had 2 shots to take the lead but missed both. Holmes answered with Elijah Pittman hitting 1 of 2 free throws to take a 49-48 lead. After another miss by LexCath, Ricardo Johnson hit 1 of 2 foul shots to make it 50-48 with 1:42 left.
• Jordan Smart’s steal and pass to Taylor Stewart for a layup ties it for LexCath at 48-48 with 2:17 left.
• Terrence Clark’s layup off a feed from Braeon Avery puts Holmes ahead 48-46. LexCath’s Jordan Smart misses a three. Holmes rebounds and has the ball with 2:25 left and a timeout.
• It’s tied 46-46 with 4:26 left. LexCath has the ball. Taylor Stewart and Nathan Novosel just checked back in after sitting out with 4 fouls apiece.
• Tyler Corvin hit a 10-footer, and Vee Sanford’s steal and feed to Jordan Smart for a buzzer-beating layup gave LexCath a 44-41 lead going into the fourth quarter. The Knights have a problem, though. Leading scorer Taylor Stewart has 4 fouls. Ricardo Johnson leads Holmes with 9 points.
• Holmes has taken the lead, wiping out a 17-point deficit to go ahead 39-38 with 2:38 left in the third quarter. Ricardo Johnson, Braeon Avery and Arrez Henderson have 7 points apiece for the Bulldogs. LexCath’s Taylor Stewart (shown at right going over Ricardo Johnson in photo by Mark Cornelison) has 14 points, 7 rebounds and 3 fouls.
• Halftime: LexCath 31, Holmes 25. With UK Coach Billy Gillispie and Richie Farmer sitting together and watching from the end zone press row, LexCath has watched a 17-point lead shrink to 6. Taylor Stewart has 11 points and 7 rebounds for the Knights. Jordan Smart and Vee Sanford have 6 points each. Braeon Avery’s 7 points pace Holmes. Arrez Henderson has 6 points and 5 rebounds. Holmes has 12 turnovers, but only 2 in the second quarter.
• Holmes has come alive. The Bulldogs have rallied from 17 points down to within 29-22 with 2:12 left in the half. Braeon Avery has 7 points for Holmes. Arrez Henderson has 4 points. Taylor Stewart leads LexCath with 11 points and 7 boards.
• With 4 minutes left in the first half, LexCath leads 23-11 Taylor Stewart has 7 points and 7 rebounds for the Knights. Holmes has 12 turnovers and is 4-for-10 shooting.
• LexCath is on top 19-4 after the first quarter. The Knights’ defense has forced 10 turnovers. Jordan Smart, who hasn’t had his three-point eye in the first two rounds, has hit a pair of long-range shots to lead LexCath with 6 points.
• Lexington Catholic is off to a quick start. It leads 14-2 with 2:43 left in the first quarter. Holmes already has 7 turnovers against the Knights’ pressure. Taylor Stewart has 5 points to lead LexCath.

Sweet Sixteen: the final four

PODCAST: Hear Mike preview the semifinals.
Four teams are left standing in the 91st Sweet Sixteen. Saturday morning’s semifinals look like this:

** Lexington Catholic (32-3) vs. Holmes (33-2), 10 a.m.

** Shelby County (25- vs. Mason County (32-4), 11:45.

The final four is fairly familiar to three of the teams. Lexington Catholic is in the semifinals for the fourth time since 1998. The Knights won the title in 2002, and were runners-up to Elizabethtown in 2000. Holmes Coach David Henley (shown above) had his Bulldogs in the semifinals last year where they lost to eventual champ Scott County. Mason County is in the final four for the third time since it won the state title in 2003 and was runner-up in 04.

Holmes has shown tenacious defense in beating Bardstown and Paintsville. Arrez Henderson has been terrific. It’ll be interesting to see who he’ll guard — LexCath’s Taylor Stewart or Vee Sanford. LexCath didn’t play well in beating Owensboro in the quarterfinals. The Knights’ long bodies make their pressure defense that much more effective, so Holmes will have to take care of the ball.

Shelby County will be an underdog in its semifinal. The Rockets will face a Mason County team that destroyed Paducah Tilghman in the quarterfinals. If Darius Miller, Trevor Setty and Russ Middleton are on their game, the Royals will be hard to handle. Like LexCath, Mason County has long, tall bodies that figure to give Shelby County trouble defensively.

Final: Mason County 73, Paducah Tilghman 46

See photos with comments from Mason County Coach Chris O’Hearn and star Darius Miller.

• The Royals in a rout. Mason County’s starters went to bench midway through the third quarter and didn’t return to the blowout. With UK Coach Billy Gillispie on hand, Darius Miller (shown at right in photo by Charles Bertram) finished his short night’s work with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Russ Middleton and Ethan King had 12 points each, and Trevor Setty had 11. Mason County hit 10 of 20 threes, including 7 of 11 in the first 10 minutes. Tilghman was led by Bryon Wright’s 12 points and Jeffrey Williams’ 10.
• Mason County advances to play Shelby County in Saturday’s semifinals. Needless to say, the Royals’ starters will be well-rested.
• YAWN! Mason County’s starters went to the bench midway through the third quarter of the blowout. With 5:30 left in th game, the Royals led 62-27. Rupp Arena has pretty much cleared out.
• Nothing new to report. Darius Miller scored 10 points in a row for his team as Mason County opened a huge lead — 51-13. Miller has 17 points and 6 rebounds. The Royals have hit 9 of 15 threes. Tilghman has 19 turnovers.
• Halftime: Mason County 39, Paducah Tilghman 11. The Royals couldn’t have played much better. They’ve hit their shots, including 7 of 11 threes, and played super defense. Trevor Setty has 11 points, Russ Middleton 9 to lead the way. Darius Miller, who has UK Coach Billy Gillispie watching from a seat on press row in the end zone, has 7 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Tilghman has missed 10 of 13 shots from the field, 5 of 9 free throws and has 16 turnovers.
• The margin has grown to 35-7 with 2:47 left in the first half as Mason County continues to make Tilghman look confused. Trevor Setty has 11 points to lead the Royals, who are doing this with Darius Miller scoring only 5 points.
• It’s getting lopsided here in Rupp Arena. Trevor Setty just hit Mason County’s seventh three-pointer (out of 11 tries) to give the Royals a 33-7 lead with 4:30 left in the first half. Tilghman has missed 10 of 12 shots and has 13 turnovers in a nightmare of a game.
• Mason County has stretched its lead to 28-7 two minutes into the second quarter.
• Russ Middleton is 3-for-3 on threes and Mason County is on top 24-6 at the end of the first quarter. The Royals have also gotten a pair of threes from Trevor Setty and one from Darius Miller as they’ve taken the wind out of the Blue Tornado. Tilghman already has 11 turnovers.
• Mason County is 4-for-5 on threes and leads 16-5 with 2:57 left in the first quarter. Russ Middleton has hit a couple bombs to lead the Royals early surge. UK Coach Billy Gillispie is in the crowd to watch signee Darius Miller.
• Mason County has come out smokin’. The Royals lead 10-0 less than three minutes into the game. Darius Miller and Trevor Setty have hit three-pointers to spark the quick start.

Final: Shelby County 53, Hazard 50

See photos and hear comments from Shelby County senior guard Alex Matthews, Shelby Coach Mike Clark and Hazard Coach Al Holland.

• 
• Hazard’s Josh Whitaker missed on a long three-point try from the left wing just before the buzzer and Shelby County holds on to win 53-50. The Rockets rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to reach the semifinals. Cache Tomlison led the winners with 12 points, and Coty Minnis had 10 points and 7 rebounds. Whitaker had 21 to lead Hazard. Cory Martin added 13 points and 7 rebounds.
• After hitting 12 of 21 shots in the first half, Hazard made only 7 of 26 in the second half.
• Hazard has a chance to tie. Timeout with 5 seconds left, the Bulldogs have the ball and trail Shelby County 53-50.
• Shelby County leads 48-39 with 3:24 left in the game. Nigel Beach has 9 points in the second half, including the basket that put the Rockets ahead of the first time.
• It was a dream third quarter for Shelby County, and a nightmare for Hazard. Shelby County blitzed the Bulldogs 18-5 to take a 38-35 lead going in the fourth quarter.
• Shelby County has tied Hazard 33-33 on Tim Sanford’s three-pointer with 1:40 left in the third quarter.
• Shown at right: Hazard’s Justin Jones (35) and Robert Warren (30) go for a rebound in photo by Charles Bertram.
• Shelby County is on a 9-0 run and has trimmed Hazard’s lead to 30-29 with 4:22 left in the third quarter. Alex Matthews has contributed 4 points in the Rockets surge.
• Halftime: Hazard 30, Shelby County 20. Josh Whitaker hit his first four three-pointers to help the Bulldogs take control. Whitaker has 14 points. Cory Martin has 10 points, including a pair of threes. Hazard is shooting 57% (12-for-21 overall). Coty Minnis has 8 points for Shelby County.
• Hazard’s hot shooting continues. It has hit 5 of 6 threes. Josh Whitaker is 3-for-3 and Cory Martin is 2-for-2 and the Bulldogs lead 25-15 with less than three minutes left in the first half. Shelby County is shooting 35% — 6-for-17. Coty Minnis has 7 points and 4 rebounds for the Rockets.
• Hazard holds a 15-13 lead after the first quarter. The Bulldogs are 6-for-9 shooting and have hit all three of their three-point tries. Josh Whitaker has 8 points to lead Hazard. Shelby County’s Coty Minnis has 5 points.
• Hazard is off to a good start. It’s 3-for-3 on three-pointers and leads 15-11 late in the first quarter. Josh Whitaker has hit two of the bombs for the Bulldogs.

Final: Holmes 61, Paintsville 53

Photos, coaches’ comments
Also: Holmes Coach David Henley on facing Lexington Catholic in the semifinals
Lexington Catholic Coach Brandon Salsman on Holmes
Podcast: Hear pregame comments from Paintsville Coach Bill Mike Runyon

• It will be Holmes vs. Lexington Catholic in Saturday’s 10 a.m. semifinal. The Bulldogs powered their way past Paintsville thanks to Arrez Henderson. He had all of his 21 points and 6 of his 7 rebounds in the second half. Sophomore Elijah Pittman (shown at right in photo by Mark Cornelison) had 19 points. for Holmes. Paintsville was led by Shane Grimm’s 17 points. Justin Murray had 14. Landon Slone was limited to 11 points on 4-for-13 shooting.
• Paintsville Coach Bill Mike Runyon is retiring after 26 seasons, 531 wins, eight region titles, one state title (1996) and a state runner-up (1998).
• Holmes has taken control behind Arrez Henderson. The Bulldogs lead 53-44 with 2:20 left in the game. Henderson has 16 points, all in the second half. Paintsville has had 3 turnovers and missed 3 inside shots on its last 7 possessions.
• Paintsville leads 37-36 going into the fourth quarter. It’s gotten rough on the court. Lots of off-the-ball foul calls, and lots of contact inside. Arrez Henderson had 9 points in the third quarter for Holmes. Shane Grimm has 14 points to lead Paintsville.
• Arrez Henderson has scored Holmes’ last 6 points to push the Bulldogs into a 36-33 lead with 2:53 left in the third quarter.
• Halftime: Paintsville 24, Holmes 21. The Tigers finished the half strong, with a 6-0 run. Justin Murray hit a layup, then got a steal and a layup, and Paintsville closed it with a drive-and-dish from Blake Bundy to Shane Grimm. Grimm has 11 points to lead the Tigers, and Murray has 9. Landon Slone, who had 35 in the opening win over Jeffersontown, has been pretty well silenced by Holmes’ defense. Slone has 2 points. Elijah Pittman has 13 to lead the Bulldogs.
• Paintsville has tied it 18-18 with 2:20 left in the first half. Shane Grimm has muscled inside for 10 points to lead the Tigers. Elijah Pittman has 10 off the bench for Holmes. Both teams are struggling with their shooting — they’re a combined 14-for-39 (36%).
• Holmes leads 14-8 after one quarter. Elijah Pittman hit a 30-foot three-pointer at the buzzer. He has 8 points off the bench to lead the Bulldogs. Paintsville is 4-for-12 shooting.
• Elijah Pittman’s three-pointer from the top of the key has given Holmes a 7-6 lead. There’s a timeout with 2:26 left in the first quarter. Neither team is shooting well. Paintsville is 3-for-10; Holmes is 3-for-10. Paintsville’s Landon Slone, who lit up Jeffersontown for 35, is being guarded by Holmes star Arrez Henderson.

Final: Lexington Catholic 54, Owensboro 47

See a slideshow and hear comments from Coach Brandon Salsman and forward Taylor Stewart.
Also: Salsman on facing Holmes in the semis.
Holmes Coach David Henley on LexCath

• No. 1 Lexington Catholic has earned a spot in the Sweet Sixteen final four for the fourth time since 1998 by holding off Owensboro 54-47. The Knights struggled from start to finish but found a way to win. Vee Sanford’s 18 points and Taylor Stewart’s 14 paced LexCath. Nathan Novosel had a tough shooting game (2-for-9) but he had 11 rebounds. Owensboro was led by Brock Moorman’s 16 points and 12 rebounds.
• LexCath, which missed 16 of its first 19 shots, wound up hitting 21 of 55 (38%). Owensboro was 18-for-44 (41%) and had 22 turnovers.
• Shown at right: Taylor Stewart on one of his back-to-back dunks that sparked LexCath. Photo by Mark Cornelison.
• It looks like tournament favorite LexCath is going to avoid an uspet. It leads 52-45 with 90 seconds left.
• Taylor Stewart has had back-to-back dunks while flying in from the baseline to spark LexCath to a 44-35 lead with five minutes left.
• LexCath leads 38-32 going into the fourth quarter. Vee Sanford has 16 points for the Knights, who have forced 15 turnovers. Owensboro’s Brock Moorman has 14 points and 11 rebounds.
• Approaching the 4-minute mark of the third quarter, LexCath has taken a 30-26 lead. Its pressure defense has keyed the surge. Vee Sanford’s 14 points leads the Knights.
• After LexCath went on an 11-0 run to take a 21-19 lead, Owensboro has edged ahead 23-21 at halftime. Brock Moorman’s 10 points and 6 rebounds lead the Red Devils. Tyler Acton has 6 points. LexCath is led by Vee Sanford’s 9 points. The Knights are 9-for-29 shooting (31%). LexCath has 10 turnovers and Owensboro has 11.
• LexCath is showing some life. After falling behind 19-10, the Knights have pulled to within 19-15. Vee Sanford has 9 points to lead LexCath with 2:16 left in the first half.
• The lid is still on LexCath’s basket. The Knights are 3-for-19 and have fallen behind Owensboro 17-8. The Red Devils are on a 9-0 run with six minutes left in the first half. Brock Moorman has 8 points and 5 rebounds for Owensboro, which came into the game a big underdog.
• Owensboro leads ice-cold LexCath 11-8 after one quarter. LexCath missed 13 of 16 shots, a lot of them from in the paint. Owensboro has 5 turnovers, but has hit 4 of 7 shots, including a three-pointer by Tyler Swift that gave the Red Devils their 11-8 lead.
• Both teams are off to a sluggish start in the opening quarterfinal game. LexCath and Owensboro are tied 6-6 more than halfway through the first quarter. The teams are a combined 4-for-13.