NKyTribune staff
Scotty Draud poured in 16 of his 43 points in the fourth quarter as Beechwood rallied to post an 83-76 win over St. Henry on Tuesday night in Fort Mitchell.
St. Henry held a 59-49 lead going into the fourth quarter, but Draud ignited a 34-17 spurt that lifted the Tigers to the victory. Cameron Boyd netted eight of his 14 points in the final period for Beechwood, which extended its winning streak to four and improved to 10-2.
Beechwood also avenged a 59-52 loss to St. Henry during the All “A” Classic on Jan. 15. The Crusaders held Draud to 17 points in that game.
Draud, a senior guard, entered Tuesday night’s game averaging 21.2 points per contest.
Jude Bessler led St. Henry with 20 points. Bessler poured in 14 points in the first half as the Crusaders built a 32-31 lead at intermission.
St. Henry outscored Beechwood 27-18 in the third quarter to extend its lead to 59-49 going into the final period. Bessler and Cory Shea each netted six points in the third quarter for St. Henry.
Draud took over in the final quarter, making seven free throws and four field goals‚ including a key 3-pointer. Boyd also drained a pair of big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter as the Tigers rallied for the win.
Trailing 65-60 in the fourth quarter, Beechwood responded with a 15-6 run to gain a 75-71 advantage. Draud netted 11 points during the decisive spurt.
Draud converted 13 of his 15 free throws en route to scoring a career-high 43 points.
Shea and Wyatt Vieth both finished with 18 points for St. Henry, which dropped to 7-2. Vieth scored seven of his points in the final period. Reid Ravenscraft added eight points for the Crusaders.
St. Henry plays host to Dixie Heights on Thursday night. Beechwood plays at Holy Cross on Friday night.
