By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
LEXINGTON — A video celebrating the 100th year of the Kentucky boys’ high school basketball tournament appears on the massive scoreboard at Rupp Arena before every game in the “Sweet 16” this week.
Most of the highlights on the video are scoring plays, but the Cooper Jaguars showed how important it is to play good defense in a 54-39 win over Meade County in Thursday’s final first-round game.
Cooper won its state tournament debut by forcing 19 turnovers on defense and limiting its opponent to just 12 field goals. The Jaguars got 21 points off those turnovers to account for a good percentage of their own scoring total.
“Obviously, we get a lot of points on turnovers,” Cooper coach Tim Sullivan said. “I think it’s just from the simple fact that we try to challenge every single pass and every single shot. We’re getting those steals off the ball because we’re in our positions, we’re in our gaps, and if a loose ball is there it’s got to be ours.”
The Jaguars shot an anemic 37 percent (17 of 46) from the field in their win over Meade County. That number would’ve been a lot lower if it hadn’t been for the breakaway baskets they got after steals and other turnovers by the Green Wave.
“That’s what killed us,” said Meade County coach Jason Tripure. “You can’t have 19 turnovers against a good basketball team like that and expect to win. If we handled the ball a little better, I think it would’ve been a closer game and we’d had a chance of winning it.”
Defense has made a difference in all five of the Jaguars’ post-season playoff victories. They limited those six opponents to 42, 25, 41, 33, 38 and 39 points, which adds up to a 36.3 defensive average.
Cooper (29-4) will try to keep that stingy streak going in a state quarterfinal game against Collins (25-12) at 6:30 p.m. Friday. If the Jaguars win that game, a 9th Region team will be in the state semifinals for the fourth consecutive year.
Junior guard Adam Kunkel was Cooper’s only double-figure scorer in Thursday’s first-round game with 16 points. He also had eight rebounds and four steals.
“We knew coming into this game that (Meade County) had a bunch of guys who crash the glass and pride themselves on offensive rebounds, so I knew I had to have a big night in rebounds,” Kunkel said.
After both teams struggled on offense in the first quarter, Cooper went on a 13-2 run and took a 20-8 lead when junior Tyler Ollier swished his second 3-point basket after coming off the bench.
Meade County cut the lead to 23-15 at halftime and came on strong after the break to pull within two points, 27-25, with 4:08 left in the third quarter. A few seconds later, however, Kunkel was fouled while making a layup and he sank the free throw to give the momentum back to his team.
“I think that was big because we were struggling offensively and I knew I had to get something going,” Kunkel said.
The Jaguars closed the third quarter with a 12-2 run and opened the fourth quarter with an 11-3 run to open up a 48-31 lead that clinched the victory. The last basket on those dual runs was a dunk by Kunkel on a fast break.
Meade County’s leading scorer was sophomore forward Chesney Weick with 15 points. James Baker, the team’s 6-foot-7 point guard, finished with seven points, nine below his season average. He also committed seven of the team’s 19 turnovers. The Green wave ended up shooting 30 percent (12 of 40) from the field.
“(Our players) understand that we better lock down (on defense) and make sure we take care of business there because offensively you’re going to have nights when it’s not there,” coach Sullivan said. “(This game), we hung our hat on defense and eventually made shots.”
MEADE CO. 6 9 13 11 — 39
COOPER 7 16 16 15 — 54
MEADE COUNTY (13-22): Baker 3 0 7, Matthews 2 1 5, Schwartz 1 0 2, Weick 4 7 15, Medley 2 2 8, Gagel 0 2 2. Totals: 12 12 39.
COOPER (29-4): Hendrix 2 0 4, Kunkel 5 5 15, Runion 2 1 6, C. McNeil 2 1 5, S. McNeil 2 4 9, Ollier 2 2 8, Walters 1 0 2, Shidler 1 0 2, Hampton 0 2 2. Totals: 17 15 54.
Three-pointers: MC — Medley 2, Baker. C — Ollier 2, Kunkel, Runion, S. McNeil.
WHITAKER BANK/KHSAA BOYS’ STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
(at Rupp Arena, Lexington)
FRIDAY – Quarterfinals
Bowling Green vs. Scott County, noon
SCOTT vs. Perry County Central, 1:30 p.m.
COOPER vs. Collins, 6:30 p.m.
Fern Creek vs. Louisville Ballard, 8 p.m.
SATURDAY – Semfinals
Bowling Green-Scott County winner vs. Scott-Perry County Central winner, 6:30 p.m.
Cooper-Collins winner vs. Fern Creek-Ballard winner, 8 p.m.
SUNDAY
Championship game, 2 p.m.