By Terry Boehmker
NkyTribune sports reporter
The rematch between Cooper and Covington Catholic, the top two boys’ basketball teams in the Northern Kentucky coaches poll, is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Sunday in the final game of the St. Elizabeth Healthcare Bluegrass-Buckeye Charity Classic at BB&T Arena.
The first two games of the Sunday triple-header are Newport Central Catholic vs. Holmes at 5:30 p.m. and Dixie Heights vs. Scott at 7 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door and $5 for parking.
CovCath started the season as the top-ranked team in the coaches poll, but the Colonels dropped to No. 2 after a 62-59 loss to Cooper during a holiday tournament in late December.
Cooper senior guard Adam Kunkel, who missed two games with a broken nose, returned to the lineup Friday when the Jaguars lost to Boone County in double-overtime. He scored 10 points in that game, well below his 21.5 season average.
CovCath won its last three games by wide margins behind an offense that’s shooting 55.4 percent from the field and 44.5 percent from behind the 3-point arc. The Colonels’ top scorer is senior guard C.J. Fredrick with a 21.5 average while senior center Jake Walter is shooting 74.8 percent from the field.
Proceeds from the 17th annual classic will be donated to charities on both sides of the Ohio River that serve our community — Ruth Lyon’s Children’s Fund, Neediest Kids of All, St. Elizabeth Foundation and Chicks & Chucks, a breast cancer support group.