By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Dixie Heights extended its winning streak to 20 games with a 64-55 victory over Cooper in the first round of the 9th Region girls basketball tournament on Thursday at Dixie Heights.
Cooper was the last team that beat Dixie Heights on Jan. 22, but the Colonels won the rematch with a late scoring run and advance to the region semifinals to face Highlands at 6 p.m. Saturday at Holmes High School.
In the other 9th Region first-round games on Thursday, Highlands defeated Holy Cross, 59-43, Notre Dame buried Ludlow, 61-16, and Ryle knocked off Newport Central Catholic, 64-48.
Ryle and Notre Dame, the winner and runner-up in last year’s region tournament, will meet in Saturday’s second semifinal game at 8 p.m. at Holmes.
Dixie Heights outscored Cooper, 14-8, in the final two minutes to seal its first-round win. During that time, senior guard Sydney Lockard made six free throws and sophomore guards Samantha Berman and Reese Smith each scored four points for the Colonels.
The score was tied six times in the first three quarters before Dixie Heights opened up a 44-37 lead going into the final period. Cooper pulled to within, 50-47, on a basket by freshman Liz Freihofer before the Colonels launched their final run.
Cooper’s leading scorers were sophomore forward Whitney Lind with 18 points and freshman forward Logan Palmer with 17. Lind made the first basket in the second quarter to give the Jaguars their only lead of the game at 19-17.
Dixie Heights had four-double figure scorers. Lockard’s final six free throws gave her a team-high 16 points. Berman netted 15, followed by junior forward Madelyn Lawson with 13 and Smith with 11.
The Colonels shot 52 percent (22 of 42) from the field on their home court compared to Cooper’s 37.5 percent (21 of 56). At the line, Dixie Heights had a 16-6 scoring advantage.
Cooper ends the season with a 17-5 record. Dixie Heights is 25-2 going into its semifinal game against Highlands (20-6). The Colonels won the regular-season game between the two teams, 36-30, at Highlands on Jan. 29.
Highlands won its first-round game on Thursday by outscoring Holy Cross, 25-6, in the fourth quarter.
WALTON-VERONA 48, OLDHAM COUNTY 31
With starting center Maggie Buerger spending most of the game on the bench in foul trouble, Walton-Verona had to rely on perimeter shooting to win the first-round game in the 8th Region tournament at North Oldham High School.
The Bearcats outscored Oldham County, 21-0 from behind the 3-point line with junior Kylie Lay making six of her team’s seven treys for 18 points.
Senior point guard Haylee Neeley contributed 10 points to the winning effort. The Bearcats won the rebounding battle, 28-21, with Audrey Carrico pulling down six. Grace Brewer and Anastasia Schneider had five rebounds each.
Walton-Verona (18-8) advances to the region semifinals to face defending champion Anderson County (24-2) at 8:30 p.m. Monday. Anderson County has a 10-0 record against 8th Region opponents this season, including a 70-43 win at Walton-Verona on Jan. 25.
SCOTT 55, MASON COUNTY 49
Scott held off a late rally to come away with the victory in the first round of the 10th Region tournament at George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester.
The Eagles took a 13-point lead (38-25) into the fourth quarter and let it slip to 51-49 in the closing seconds before making three free throws they needed to secure the win.
Scott senior forward Sofia Allen made those three free throws and finished with a game-high 18 points. The team’s other double-figure scorer was sophomore Madelyn Wilson with 15 points.
The matchups in the region semifinals on Monday are Brossart (19-5) vs. George Rogers Clark (18-5) at 5:30 p.m. and Scott (16-8) vs. Montgomery County (14-8) at 8 p.m.
