By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Ryle’s record dropped to 6-9 after a 75-70 home court loss to Conner in boys basketball on Jan. 24.
That setback must have riled up the Raiders. They won nine of their last 11 regular season games and continued their hot streak with a 74-59 payback win over Conner in the 33rd District semifinals Wednesday at Boone County.
Ryle clinched a berth in the 9th Region tournament with the victory and will face Cooper in the district final at 7 p.m. Friday.
There’s a good chance Ryle senior forward Landon Lorms will break his team’s career scoring record in Friday’s game.
Based on past statistics posted on the khsaa.org website, he has 1,495 total points and needs nine more to surpass the current team record of 1,503 set by 2003 graduate Justin Doellman.
Lorms scored a game-high 27 points in the win over Conner to raise his season average to 22.6. He got 11 points during a 17-0 run that put the Raiders ahead, 30-16, early in the second quarter.
Conner responded with a 12-0 run that cut the margin to 30-28, but Ryle junior guard Anthony Coppola scored the last seven points in the first half to give his team a 37-28 lead at the break.
The Raiders finished the third quarter on a 10-0 run to open up a 54-39 lead. Conner got to within six points, 59-53, midway through the fourth quarter, but Ryle pulled away again to come away with the victory.
The Raiders made 10 3-point goals with Coppolla and junior AJ Davis getting three each. Coppola finished with 15 points and senior Jonathan DeGroff had 12. Conner’s leading scorer was junior Finn Loudon, who got 14 of his 20 points in the first half.
The other boys basketball teams that won district semifinal games Wednesday to clinch 9th Region tournament berths were Cooper, Lloyd, Dixie Heights, Covington Catholic, Holy Cross, Newport and Highlands.
Walton-Verona defeated Grant County, 53-47, in a 32nd District semifinal game to earn an 8th Region tournament berth. Senior forward Aaron Gutman pushed his career scoring total over the 2,000-point mark in the Bearcats’ victory.
In the 37th District girls title game, Brossart defeated Campbell County, 64-63, in overtime behind a 27-point effort by senior Zoee Meyers. This is the fourth time in five years that the Mustangs have won the district title and advanced to the 10th Region girls playoffs.
Basketball district tournament finals
32ND DISTRICT AT WILLIAMSTOWN
GIRLS — Simon Kenton vs. Grant County, 7 p.m. Thursday
BOYS — Simon Kenton vs. Walton-Verona, 7 p.m. Friday
33RD DISTRICT AT BOONE COUNTY
GIRLS — Cooper vs. Ryle, 7 p.m. Thursday
BOYS — Cooper vs. Ryle, 7 p.m. Friday
34TH DISTRICT AT DIXIE HEIGHTS
GIRLS — Dixie Heights vs. St. Henry, 7 p.m. Thursday
BOYS — Lloyd vs. Dixie Heights, 7 p.m. Friday
35TH DISTRICT AT BEECHWOOD
GIRLS — Notre Dame vs. Holy Cross, 7:30 p.m. Thursday
BOYS — Covington Catholic vs. Holy Cross, 7 p.m. Friday
36TH DISTRICT AT NEWPORT CENTRAL CATHOLIC
GIRLS — Highlands vs. Newport Central Catholic, 7 p.m. Thursday
BOYS — Newport vs. Highlands, 7 p.m. Friday
37TH DISTRICT AT SCOTT
BOYS — Campbell County vs. Brossart, 7:30 p.m. Thursday