By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
With two first-year starters and a senior substitute leading the way, Newport Central Catholic defeated Russellville, 61-51, in overtime on Saturday and advanced to the championship game of the Kentucky All “A” Classic boys’ state basketball tournament for the fourth time in the last five years.
NewCath’s top scorers in the semifinal game at Frankfort Convention Center were junior forward Brendan Luken, junior guard Jalen McDaniel and senior forward Trey Wurtz, who came off the bench and made all seven of his field goal attempts. The trio provided a net total of 39 points and accounted for 11 of their team’s 16 points in the overtime period.
The victory puts NewCath (14-7) in the championship game against Paris (15-7) at 2 p.m. Sunday. The Thoroughbreds have a 4-0 record in previous All “A” Classic finals, winning the small-school state title in 2000, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Russellville took a 24-10 lead in the second quarter, but NewCath went on a 10-1 run that cut the halftime margin to 25-20. Luken scored two baskets during that rally and had a team-high 10 points at halftime.
Late in the third quarter, Russellville took a 39-29 lead on a stickback basket by Jaylyn McMurry. But NewCath senior Luke Moeves hit a 3-point shot a few seconds later that seemed to switch the momentum. The Thoroughbreds tied the score with a 13-6 run in the fourth quarter and won the game by outscoring the Panthers, 16-6, in overtime.
NewCath jumped out to a 54-47 lead in the overtime period with Wurtz, McDaniel and Luken doing all of the team’s scoring during the 9-2 run. Senior guard Brennen Hall got the Thoroughbreds’ next five points and Wurtz made a layup just before the final horn sounded to give his team the 10-point victory.
That final basket made Wurtz his team’s leading scorer with 15 points, followed by Luken with 14 and McDaniel with 10. Luken also had a team-high 13 rebounds and four blocked shots. Wurtz and Hall snagged nine rebounds each.
Russellville’s leading scorers were Jacob Naylor with 18 points and DeAndre Bradshaw with 17. In the overtime period, Bradshaw made a field goal and free throw in overtime to account for half of his team’s six points.
In Saturday’s championship game, NewCath will face a Paris team that upset tournament favorite Lexington Christian, 65-58, in the semifinal match-up on Saturday. Paris is an aggressive defensive team that scored 18, 16 and 22 points off turnovers in its three previous tournament games. The Greyhounds’ leading scorer in all three games was forward Jekobi Wells with 26, 15 and 27 points.
RUSSELLVILLE 17 8 14 6 6 — 51
NEWCATH 8 12 12 13 16 — 61
RUSSELLVILLE (15-8): Kemp 0 1 1, M. Naylor 2 0 6, J. Naylor 7 1 18, Bradshaw 5 7 17, McMurry 3 1 7, Kees 0 2 2. Totals: 17 12 51.
NEWCATH (14-7): Hall 1 5 7, Spencer Pangallo 1 0 2, Stephen Pangallo 1 0 2, Moeves 3 0 8, Luken 7 0 14, Wurtz 7 1 15, Neff 1 0 3, McDaniel 5 0 10. Totals: 26 6 61.
Three-point goals: NC — Moeves 2, Neff. R — J. Naylor 3, M. Naylor 2.