By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
After a nail-biting overtime victory in the 34th District final last week, Lloyd boys basketball coach Michael Walker told his players they needed to work together better at both ends of the court.
In the first game of the 9th Region tournament on Monday, the team did what the coach asked, and more, to come away with a 59-30 win over Beechwood at Northern Kentucky University’s Truist Arena.
The Juggernauts had 13 assists on 20 field goals with all five starters getting seven points or more. On defense, they held Beechwood to just 13 field goals, allowed no second-chance points and forced 14 turnovers.
Lloyd also dominated the boards by a 37-22 margin, including a 28-4 advantage on the defensive glass, and had four blocked shots.
“We kind of got back to being us, sharing the basketball and moving the ball and everyone contributing,” Walker said. “And that’s just the way I love to play.”
The team-win puts the Juggernauts (25-8) in the 9th Region semifinals on Sunday when they’ll play defending champion Newport (30-3) at 2 p.m. Last year, Newport knocked off Lloyd, 45-42, in the semifinal round. They met again three weeks ago and Newport posted a 71-48 win.
Coach Walker and his players have plenty of time to prepare for Sunday’s rematch with the No. 3 team in the final state media poll that got past Ryle, 45-43, on Monday to record its 22nd straight win.
“It is a long layoff (between games),” Walker said. “I’ve got to figure out what I can do in practice to keep them intense.”
His players were fired up coming into the game with Beechwood and took a 16-6 lead early in the second quarter. After the Tigers pulled to within 16-11, Lloyd put together a 23-3 run over two quarters to build a 39-14 lead and coasted from there.
“Credit to Lloyd,” said Beechwood coach Ross Hart. “They hit their shots and built that lead in the first half and it kind of took us out of everything we wanted to do.”
The Juggernauts ended up shooting 43.5 percent (20 of 46) from the field compared to the Tigers’ 27.7 percent (12 of 43). Lloyd had scoring advantages of 13-4 at the free throw line and 18-6 from the behind the 3-point arc.
Lloyd junior forward EJ Walker, the coach’s son, posted a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. He also had a game-high five assists, three steals and two blocked shots.
Beechwood started the game in a zone defense to limit EJ’s scoring opportunities in the paint, but he made one of his team’s six 3-point goals and got some second-chance points off rebounds.
“When everybody’s making shots it opens up the floor and I think it’s really hard to beat us when we’re all hitting shots,” EJ said.
LLOYD 13 17 12 17 — 59
BEECHWOOD 5 9 8 8 — 30
LLOYD (25-8): Collins 3 0 7, Blaackar 5 2 12, Sebastian 3 2 9, Walker 4 6 15, Humphrey 0 1 1, Bresser 3 0 8, Lewis 0 2 2, Golsby 1 0 3, Jackson 1 0 2. Totals: 20 13 59.
BEECHWOOD (16-16): Blackburn 4 2 10, Eviston 1 0 2, McCormack 3 0 8, Fryman 0 1 1, Brockett 0 1 1, Navin 1 0 2, Sullivan 3 0 6. Totals: 12 4 30.
Three-point goals: L — Bresser 2, Collins, Sebastian, Walker, Godsby. B — McCormack 2.
9TH REGION BOYS TOURNAMENT AT NKU
Wednesday
Covington Catholic (25-5) vs. Dixie Heights (18-13), 6:30 p.m.
Cooper (22-8) vs. Highlands (17-15), 8 p.m.
Sunday — Semifinals
Lloyd (25-8) vs. Newport (30-3), 2 p.m.
Covington Catholic-Dixie Heights winner vs. Cooper-Highlands winner, 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 12
Championship game, 7 p.m.
9TH REGION GIRLS TOURNAMENT AT NKU
Friday — Semifinal games
Highlands (22-8) vs. Ryle (20-11), 6:30 p.m.
Holy Cross (28-5) vs. Cooper (27-4), 8 p.m.
Saturday
Championship game, 7 p.m.