By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
In the final week of the regular season, the Ryle girls basketball team shot 24 percent from the field in a 63-34 loss at Notre Dame. It was lowest scoring total of the season for the Raiders and snapped their six-game winning streak.
That was a major setback for the Ryle players, but they dispelled that poor performance Sunday when they defeated Notre Dame, 53-51, in the opening game of the 9th Region tournament at BB&T Arena.
Ryle went on a 25-13 scoring run in the fourth quarter to pull off the stunning upset against the Pandas, who came into the playoffs ranked No. 5 in the state by the Associated Press media poll.
It was Notre Dame’s first loss of the season to a Northern Kentucky opponent.
Junior guard Abby Holtman scored 15 of her game-high 27 points during Ryle’s fourth-quarter rally. After making two 3-point shots to start the run, she was fouled attempting another trey and converted all three free throws to tie the score, 44-44, with 2:04 left on the clock.
The Raiders ran off seven more points to take a 51-44 lead with Holtman getting a field goal and two free throws. Notre Dame pulled to within 53-48 with three seconds left and hit an uncontested 3-point shot as the final horn sounded.
Holtman scored just four points in her team’s previous loss to Notre Dame, but she’s the reason Ryle (20-9) is advancing to the region semifinals to play Newport Central Catholic (22-10) at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
NewCath knocked off Ludlow, 55-42, in the second game on Sunday that featured the region’s top two scorers this season. NewCath senior guard Rylee Turner finished with a game-high 27 points and Ludlow senior center Jenna Lillard had 21. They both surpassed the 2,000 mark in career points during the game.
Turner lifted her career scoring total to 2,003 points and her freshman teammate Caroline Eaglin had 19 points in NewCath’s first region tournament victory since 2015. Ludlow now has an 0-11 record in region tournament games.
Cooper (21-9) will play defending champion Dixie Heights (25-7) in the other 9th Region semifinal game at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Dixie Heights defeated Highlands, 58-40, with junior Samantha Berman scoring 20 points and senior Madelyn Lawson getting 17 for the Colonels. They needed a good effort by those two players to offset a big game by Highlands freshman center Marissa Green, who had 28 points and 15 rebounds.
In Sunday’s last game, Cooper defeated Holy Cross, 59-46, to pick up its first 9th Region tournament victory since 2017. The Jaguars shot 41.7 percent (20 of 48) from the field compared to 39 percent (16 of 41) for Holy Cross and finished with an 18-3 scoring advantage from behind the 3-point line.
Cooper’s leading scorers were junior forward Whitney Lind with 21 points and sophomore guard Logan Palmer with 14. Holy Cross sophomore Julia Hunt netted 18 points to put her career total over the 1,000 mark.
After Cooper took a 30-19 on a basket by Palmer early in the third quarter, Holy Cross responded with an 11-5 run that trimmed the margin to 35-30. The third quarter ended with the Jaguars ahead, 40-30, and they maintained a double-digit lead through out the fourth quarter.
Holy Cross sophomore guard Miya Wimzie finished with 11 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and three steals in her team’s season-ending loss.
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Girls region basketball tournament schedules
9TH REGION TOURNAMENT AT NKU BB&T ARENA
Wednesday
Ryle (20-9) vs. Newport Central Catholic (22-10), 6:30 p.m.
Dixie Heights (25-7) vs. Cooper (21-9), 8 p.m.
Friday
Championship game, 7 p.m.
10TH REGION TOURNAMENT AT NICHOLAS COUNTY
Monday
Brossart (19-10) vs. Bracken County (14-10), 6 p.m.
George Rogers Clark (27-2) vs. Pendleton County (17-14), 7:45 p.m.
Tuesday
Nicholas County (15-12) vs. Montgomery County (19-12), 6 p.m.
Campbell County (11-18) vs. Mason County (17-9), 7:45 p.m.
Friday
Semifinal games, 6 and 7:45 p.m.
Saturday
Championship game, 7 p.m.
8TH REGION TOURNAMENT AT GRANT COUNTY
Monday
Owen County (23-9) vs. North Oldham (12-18), 6:30 p.m.
Walton-Verona (15-13) vs. Spencer County (20-11), 8 p.m.
Tuesday
South Oldham (20-7) vs. Henry County (13-15), 6:30 p.m.
Anderson County (27-4) vs. Simon Kenton (17-12), 8 p.m.
Friday
Semifinal games, 6 and 8 p.m.
Saturday
Championship game, 7 p.m.
Boys region basketball tournament schedules
10TH REGION TOURNAMENT AT HOLMES
Wednesday
Brossart (12-18) vs. Mason County (23-5), 6 p.m.
George Rogers Clark (30-1) vs. Robertson County (13-20), 7:45 p.m.
Thursday
Campbell County (19-10) vs. Paris (7-20), 6 p.m.
Harrison County (20-8) vs. Bracken County (22-9), 7:45 p.m.
Monday, March 7
Semifinal games, 6 and 7:45 p.m.
Tuesday, March 8
Championship game, 7 p.m.
8TH REGION TOURNAMENT AT HENRY COUNTY
Wednesday
Owen County (21-10) vs. Collins (22-6), 6:30 p.m.
Walton-Verona (19-10) vs. North Oldham (15-12), 8 p.m.
Thursday
Oldham County (19-10) vs. Gallatin County (17-12), 6:30 p.m.
Woodford County (25-5) vs. Grant County (18-15), 8 p.m.
Monday, March 7
Semifinal games, 6:30 and 8 p.m.
Tuesday, March 8
Championship game, 7 p.m.
9TH REGION TOURNAMENT AT NKU BB&T ARENA
Saturday, March 5
Highlands (22-8) vs. Lloyd (21-7), 1 p.m.
Covington Catholic (25-4) vs. Cooper (22-6), 2:30 p.m.
Dixie Heights (20-6) vs. Newport (9-18), 6:30 p.m.
Conner (20-9) vs. Holy Cross (20-9), 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 6
Semifinal games, 6:30 and 8 p.m.
Tuesday, March 8
Championship game, 7 p.m.