By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter

A scoring record was broken, a five-game losing streak ended and a team clinched a 9th Region tournament berth for the first time since 2017 in Northern Kentucky boys basketball district tournament games on Wednesday.

In the 35th District semifinals, Holy Cross junior guard Jacob Meyer scored 35 points in a 85-75 win over Holmes to become his team’s all-time leading scorer with 2,101 points in three varsity seasons.

The previous Holy Cross team record was 2,096 points by 1994 graduate Joe Harney, who presented the game ball to Meyer after Wednesday’s victory.

Meyer has scored 997 points this season and will likely become the first 9th Region player to surpass 1,000 since Scott Draud of Highlands netted 1,094 in the 1995-96 season.

Walton-Verona snapped a five-game losing streak against neighboring rival Simon Kenton with a 69-66 win in the 32nd District semifinals. The Bearcats had never beaten the Pioneers under coach Mike Hester, who is a former Simon Kenton player and assistant coach.

Walton-Verona took a 58-47 lead late in the fourth quarter and held off a late charge by the Pioneers. Senior guard Brant Smithers, who missed his first seven free throws, made three in the final seconds to clinch the win and finished with 16 points.

The Bearcats had a 36-18 scoring advantage from behind the 3-point line on their home court. Junior guard Carter Krohman made four treys to account for 12 of his 16 points. The game’s leading scorer was Simon Kenton sophomore Travis Krohman with 17.

In the 34th District semifinals, Lloyd defeated St. Henry, 68-55, to clinch a spot in the 9th Region tournament for the first time in five years.

Lloyd opened the game with a 13-0 run and never trailed. St. Henry made the last basket in the second quarter and the first basket in the third quarter to pull within five points, 26-21, but the Juggernauts pulled away once more.

Freshman forward E.J. Walker scored 10 of his game-high 20 points in the third quarter that ended with his team holding a 44-33 lead.

Lloyd ended up shooting 50 percent (22 of 44) from the field and 72 percent (21 of 29) at the free throw line. St. Henry shot 34 percent (20 of 59) and made just 11 of 22 foul shots.

St. Henry coach Dave Faust ended the season with 451 career victories. He needs one more to move into a tie for second place on the 9th Region boys basketball coaches career wins list. The two ahead of him are Stan Arnzen (452) and Kenney Shields (460).

Dixie Heights and Lloyd will meet in the 34th District final on Friday and both teams will advance to the 9th Region tournament that begins Saturday, March 5 at Northern Kentucky University’s BB&T Arena.

The other teams in the 9th Region tournament will be Cooper and Conner from the 33rd District, Covington Catholic and Holy Cross from the 35th District and Highlands and Newport from the 36th District. They will  all be playing their district finals on Friday.

Brossart defeated Campbell County, 40-25, in the girls 37th District final on Wednesday with senior guard Madison Parker scoring a game-high 18 points for the Mustangs. Both teams will play in the 10th Region girls tournament next week at Nicholas County High School.

Five girls district championship games will be played Thursday, including Simon Kenton vs. Walton-Verona in the 32nd District. This is the 16th time in 17 years that Simon Kenton has reached the district championship game under coach Jeff Stowers, who is retiring after this season.

Stowers ranks fourth in career wins among Northern Kentucky girls basketball coaches with 427. The only ones ahead of him are Nell Fookes (686), Bill Goller (512) and Ray Kues (460).

Boys district basketball tournament finals

32nd DISTRICT AT WALTON-VERONA HIGH SCHOOL
Friday
Championship: Grant County vs. Walton-Verona, 7 p.m.

33rd DISTRICT AT RYLE HIGH SCHOOL
Friday
Championship: Cooper vs. Conner, 7 p.m.

34th DISTRICT AT LUDLOW HIGH SCHOOL
Friday
Championship: Dixie Heights vs. Lloyd, 7 p.m.

35th DISTRICT AT HOLY CROSS HIGH SCHOOL
Friday
Championship: Covington Catholic vs. Holy Cross, 7 p.m.

36th DISTRICT AT BELLEVUE HIGH SCHOOL
Friday
Championship: Highlands vs. Newport, 7 p.m.

37th DISTRICT AT CAMPBELL COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL
Thursday
Championship: Campbell County vs. Brossart, 7 p.m.

Girls district basketball tournament finals

32nd DISTRICT AT WALTON-VERONA HIGH SCHOOL
Thursday
Championship: Simon Kenton vs. Walton-Verona, 7 p.m.

33rd DISTRICT AT RYLE HIGH SCHOOL
Thursday
Championship: Ryle vs. Cooper, 7 p.m.

34th DISTRICT AT LUDLOW HIGH SCHOOL
Thursday
Championship: Dixie Heights vs. Ludlow, 7 p.m.

35th DISTRICT AT BEECHWOOD HIGH SCHOOL
Thursday
Championship game: Notre Dame vs. Holy Cross, 7 p.m.

36th DISTRICT AT BELLEVUE HIGH SCHOOL
Thursday
Championship game: Newport Central Catholic vs. Highlands, 7 p.m.