By Don Owen
NKyTribune sports editor
How long has it been since either Conner or Highlands won a 9th Region Tournament boys basketball championship?
•The last time Conner captured the 9th Region crown, a guy named Troy Fryman was hitting a last-second shot in the 1993 championship game to send the Cougars to the Sweet 16.
•For Highlands, standouts such as Ross Neltner, Gino Guidugli and Craig Forbes were leading the 2001 Bluebirds squad that made the trip to Rupp Arena.
It’s been a long, long time since either has hoisted the 9th Region championship trophy.
But that will change for one of those programs Friday night, when Highlands meets Conner for the 9th Region title at Holmes High School’s Evans Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. The Bluebirds enter Friday with a 25-4 record and a 16-game winning streak. The Cougars are 17-6 and own five consecutive victories.
Highlands earned a spot in the championship game with a 74-68 win over St. Henry on Wednesday night. The Bluebirds built a double-digit lead and held off a late rally to knock off a veteran St. Henry team that was ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press state poll.
Conner posted an impressive 71-54 victory over Dixie Heights in the second semifinal contest. The Cougars led by as many as 20 points in the second half and avenged an early-season 70-50 loss to the Colonels.
Highlands is led by senior guard Sam Vinson, who averages 22.2 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. Vinson is also an outstanding passer, as evidenced by his seven assists against St. Henry.
The Northern Kentucky University recruit is virtually impossible to stop one-on-one due to his ability to handle the basketball like a point guard and 6-foot-5 frame.
Three other Bluebirds — Luke Muller (16.6 ppg), William Herald (13.7 ppg) and Zach Barth (10.4 ppg) — also score in double figures for the 9th Region’s top offensive squad. Highlands averages 83.8 points per game and has drained 307 shots from 3-point range this season.
Conner features versatile senior Spencer Couzins, who averages 14.7 points per game. Couzins poured in 19 points — including five treys — against Dixie Heights.
Riley Osterbur averages 13.6 points per contest for Conner, while teammate Landen Hamilton is scoring 10.5 points per game. Hamilton also netted 19 points and drained five 3-pointers against Dixie Heights.
Senior forward Cole Skiles leads Conner in rebounding at 6.4 boards per contest and averages 8.7 points per game.
In their only meeting this season, Highlands posted a 78-75 win over Conner in a game played at Fort Thomas. Vinson keyed the Bluebird victory with 32 points and 11 rebounds. Herald added 15 points and Muller scored 12.
Ayden Lohr led Conner with 20 points against Highlands. Couzins added 19 points and Hamilton finished with 10 points. The Cougars were 12-for-22 from 3-point range in that game, with Lohr draining five treys.
Highlands is the 36th District champion, while Conner captured the 33rd District title. The 9th Region champion will face the winner of the 3rd Region at the Sweet 16 in Rupp Arena on April 1 at 11 a.m.
Don Owen is sports editor of the Northern Kentucky Tribune. Contact him at don@nkytrib.com and follow him on Twitter at @dontribunesport.