By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Four of the six 9th Region boys basketball teams that entered the season with new head coaches have winning records and Dixie Heights moved to the top spot of that list with a 64-59 win at Holy Cross on Thursday.
The victory gives the Colonels an 18-6 record under Scott Code, who took charge of the program last spring after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant coach. The other region teams that have done well with new head coaches are Covington Catholic (18-7), Conner (16-5) and Holmes (13-12).
Dixie Heights wasn’t ranked among the top 10 teams in the Northern Kentucky preseason coaches poll, but the Colonels have not had back-to-back losses all season.
In the win over Holy Cross, they came out on top even though they trailed by 10 points in the second quarter and seven points in the third and fourth quarters.
Holy Cross had problems maintaining those leads without two of its starters on the court.
Junior forward Nate Rominger did not play at all due to an injury. Junior guard Luke Arlinghaus left the game in the first quarter and did not return. Those two players have a combined average of 26.1 points per game.
The Indians were still able to take 30-20 lead late in the second quarter on a 3-point goal by senior Jonah Crail. Dixie Heights responded with an 8-0 run to make it 30-28 at halftime, but the home team pulled ahead, 39-32, early in the third quarter.
After the Colonels tied the score, 42-42, on a 3-point goal by senior guard Griffen Derry, Holy Cross went on an 11-4 run to open up a 53-46 lead with less than six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
But the momentum changed once again. This time, Dixie Heights scored 11 straight points that included two more treys by Derry to take a 57-53 lead with 2:05 left on the clock. Both teams scored on their next three possessions to make it 62-59 before the Colonels clinched the win on a pair of free throws by sophomore Will Collins with three seconds remaining.
Holy Cross junior Brady Gabbard took game-high scoring honors with 23 points and senior teammate Will McElheney had 16. The double-figure scorers for Dixie Heights were Derry (18), junior Max Rubemeyer (14) and sophomore Hunter Seng (14).
Holy Cross (13-10) has a home game against Highlands at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Dixie Heights will visit CovCath at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.