By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
The top-ranked teams in 9th Region boys and girls basketball have big games scheduled during the final week of the regular season, including an interstate matchup between boys teams that have a combined record of 41-4.
On Tuesday, the Covington Catholic boys team that was ranked No. 1 in the latest statewide media poll will visit Cincinnati Moeller, ranked No. 10 in Ohio Division I by MaxPreps. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
CovCath (25-1) has won 19 straight and is averaging a whopping 82.5 points per game. Moeller (16-3) has won four in a row, clinched first place in the Greater Cincinnati League last Friday and is giving up just 42.9 points per game.
On Friday, the Cooper girls team will end its season with a 7:30 p.m. game at Louisville Assumption. In the latest statewide media poll, Cooper (18-6) was No. 8 and Assumption (17-5) was No. 1.
Earlier this season, Cooper defeated Louisville Sacred Heart when it was ranked No. 1 in the state. But the Jaguars lost three straight games against No. 2 George Rogers Clark, No. 3 Simon Kenton and No. 7 Taylor County.
Cooper won the 9th Region girls championship the last four seasons.
Simon Kenton will visit Highlands in a girls game at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. If Simon Kenton (25-3) wins, the Pioneers will end the regular season with a perfect 24-0 record against in-state opponents.
The final game for the Campbell County boys team is 7:30 Tuesday at St. Henry. Campbell County sophomore forward Austin Davie scored a team-record 50 points on Friday to raise his season average to 25.3, the highest in Northern Kentucky.
The two players behind Davie in the local scoring race are Lloyd junior guard Anthony Blaackar (25.1) and Conner senior guard Finn Louden (24.3). Their teams will face each other in a regular season finale at 7 p.m. Thursday at Conner.
The leading scorer in Northern Kentucky girls basketball is Dixie Heights junior guard Asia Carner with a 23.5 average. Her team’s last two games are at Scott on Tuesday and at Newport Central Catholic on Thursday.
Three wrestlers win titles in Region 5 girls tournament
Northern Kentucky wrestlers had a 3-7 record in championship matches at the Region 3 girls tournament on Saturday in Winchester.
The weight class winners were Walton-Verona senior Emma Moore (107), Cooper freshman Aaliyah Svec (138) and Highlands junior Emma Hood (152). Campbell County, Simon Kenton and Ryle each had two second-place finishers and Walton-Verona had one.
Lexington Lafayette won the region team title with 195 points and Walton-Verona placed third with 116.5. Simon Kenton, Campbell County, Highlands and Ryle were all among the top 10 in the team standings.
The top four finishers in each of the 12 weight classes qualified for the state tournament Feb. 26-27 at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena.
Walton-Verona will be taking six wrestlers to the season finale. Moore won state titles in the 100-pound weight class the last two years. This is Svec’s first year as a varsity wrestler, but she pinned all three of her opponents in region matches without any of them scoring on her.
Hood is returning to the state tournament for another shot at the 152-pound title. In last year’s championship match, she lost on a pin in the final seconds and finished with a 29-1 record.
The Region 5 boys wrestling tournament is scheduled for noon on Saturday at Conner High School.
REGION 3 GIRLS WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES
107 — Emma Moore (Walton-Verona) def. Peyton Brinkman (Ryle) 3:15.
114 — Ava Castleman (Scott Co) def. Leah Boggs (Campbell County) 1:52.
132 — Addison Reed (Lafayette) def. Chloe Swanenberger (Walton-Verona) 7-1.
138 — Aaliyah Svec (Cooper) def. Preslee Steiner (Ryle) 2:57.
152 — Emma Hood (Highlands) def. Devon Banks (Simon Kenton) forfeit.
165 — Sianni Appolon (Henry Clay) def. McAyla Steffen (Campbell County) 1:45
185 — Ryleigh Maybrier (Harrison County) def. Alanya Banks (Simon Kenton) 1:16.
Ryle graduate is freshman starter on college team
Ryle graduate Sarah Baker is a starting forward on the Youngstown State women’s basketball team that will visit Northern Kentucky University for a Horizon League game at 6 p.m. Thursday.
Baker is averaging 11.7 points and 4.4 rebounds for the 19-8 Penguins. The 6-foot-2 freshman is shooting 53.6 percent (140 of 261) from the field, which ranks third in league statistics.
In the Horizon League standings, Youngstown State is second and Northern Kentucky is tied for third going into the last week of the regular season. The final standings will determine seeds in the league playoffs.