By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
It started with a 12-0 scoring run that put Cooper ahead, 18-8, in the first quarter of the 33rd District boys basketball championship game on Friday. From that point on, the Jaguars were on control and came away with a 64-51 win over Ryle to take the district title for the third consecutive year.
It was a trademark win for a 20-5 Cooper team that has won most of its games by double-digit margins with aggressive half-court defense and disciplined offensive execution. That’s what the team that faces the Jaguars in the first round of the 9th Region tournament will have to deal with.
The draw for the region tournament will take place Saturday morning, but the first-round games won’t be played until March 8.
That gives Cooper coach Tim Sullivan, who notched his 300th career victory with the program this week, time to prepare his players for a run at the title.
The Jaguars lost close games in the region final the last two years and the four senior starters in Friday’s game don’t want that to happen again.
One of those seniors is 6-foot-5 shooting guard Andy Johnson, who scored a team-high 26 points in the win over Ryle to bump his region-leading average to 23.6.
Johnson got 14 points in the first half that ended with his team holding a 35-16 lead. Ryle trimmed the margin to 12 points, 43-31, in the final seconds of the third quarter, but Cooper senior guard Isaac Brown’s long 3-point goal just before the horn sounded made it 46-31.
Late in the fourth quarter, Ryle pulled to within 10 points, 54-44, on a layup by senior forward Landon Lorms, who scored 27 points to become his team’s career scoring leader.
Johnson then made four straight free throws to start a 10-7 run that clinched the victory for the Jaguars, who have a 12-0 record against 9th Region teams this season.
Johnson was named most valuable player on the all-tournament team. The Jaguars’ other double-figure scorers were Brown with 13 points and brothers Roman and Jaidan Combs with 10 each.
Lloyd, Covington Catholic and Newport are the other district champions that will play in the 9th Region tournament. Newport defeated Cooper in the region final that last two years.
Simon Kenton defeated Walton-Verona, 58-36, in the 32nd District final on Friday and will enter the 8th Region tournament with a 10-game winning streak.