Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Beechwood remained among the state’s undefeated boys basketball teams with a 59-54 win over Pleasure Ridge Park in the Taylor County Farm Bureau Holiday Classic on Friday at Campbellsville High School.
It took a strong second-half comeback for the Tigers to run their record to 9-0, the best start in program history, under head coach Ross Hart.
After PRP opened up a 33-23 lead early in the third quarter, Beechwood rallied behind the scoring of sophomore Dylan Topmiller and senior Owen McCormack, two guards who provided 31 of their team’s last 36 points.
The Tigers finished the third quarter with a 16-4 run and took their first lead, 40-39, on a breakaway basket by McCormark in the final seconds of that period.
In the final seconds of the fourth quarter, PRP scored off a stolen inbounds pass to tie the score at 53-53. Beechwood’s final six points were free throws by Topmiller with the last two coming on a technical foul called against PRP.
Topmiller finished with 26 points. The first-year varsity starter has been a double-figure scorer in each of Beechwood’s first nine victories. He’s now averaging 21.8 points per game.
McCormack scored eight of his 15 points in the third quarter. He made 5 of 7 free throws during the game while Topmiller was 11-of-12 at the line.
Beechwood will take on Bardstown Bethlehem (3-6) in the semifinals of the eight-team tournament at 6 p.m. Saturday. The other semifinal game will be Campbellsville vs. Harlan County at 7:30 p.m.
The other undefeated basketball teams in Northern Kentucky that have games on Saturday are Highlands boys (7-0), Holy Cross boys (9-0) and Brossart girls (9-0). The next game for the 10-0 Simon Kenton girls is on Jan. 2.
Namesake for basketball classic is Brossart mainstay
A man involved with the Brossart High School athletic program for decades is the namesake of the Dave Schabell Classic boys basketball event that will make its debut on Monday night.
Schabell was a boys freshman coach for 11 years and girls varsity coach for five years as a paraprofessional. He still runs the bmustangs.org athletic website and was play-by-play announcer on internet broadcasts of Brossart games for several years.
He currently serves as business manager for Brossart’s boys basketball team.
The classic games on Monday are Holmes vs. Roger Bacon (Ohio) at 6 p.m. and Brossart vs. Walton-Verona at 7:30 p.m. The matchups on Tuesday will be Roger Bacon vs. Brossart at 6 p.m. and Walton-Verona vs. Holmes at 7:30 p.m.
Former Brossart players can attend the second game on Monday for free. A pre-game reception in Hegenauer Hall will begin at 6 p.m. and players will be recognized during halftime of the 7:30 game.
Holy Cross grad sidelined by injury with college team
Holy Cross graduate Jacob Meyer sat out the last two games with the University of Alabama-Birmingham men’s basketball team after the junior guard injured his left ankle in a game on Dec. 14.
Meyer started the first 11 games for the 9-4 Blazers. He’s averaging 13.6 points 3.5 rebounds and hopes to be back in action when UAB plays its first America Conference game at home against Wichita State on Wednesday.
This is Meyer’s first season at UAB. He played for DePaul and Coastal Carolina the last two seasons. He has a career total of 930 points and needs to recover from his injury to continue his quest for the 1,000 mark. He scored 3,280 points during his high school career to set a 9th Region record.