Bluegrassrivals

Roger Bacon (OH) 86 Johnson Central 68 Final
At Ashland

Johnson Central falls to Cincinnati Roger Bacon, 86-68




TIM STEPHENS

ASHLAND -- Cincinnati Roger Bacon built a 19-point lead and held off a Johnson Central rally to defeat the Eagles, 86-68, in a Saturday boys basketball game of the Ashland Invitational Tournament in Anderson Gym.

Roger Bacon's quickness created problems for Johnson Central. Roger Bacon (7-0) penetrated well and drew fouls or scored on drives to build 56-37 lead at 2:28 of the third quarter.

The Eagles (4-5) made a run, pulling within 69-59 on a jumper by Braxton Blair with 4:09 left in the game, but the Spartans were efficient at the free throw line the rest of the way to hold off the challenge and advance to Sunday's championship game.

Johnson Central was hindered down the stretch without star center Shane Hall, who fouled out with 6:15 left in the game. Hall, a 6-foot-9 senior who signed with Marshall University, scored 14 and grabbed eight rebounds in a very physical game. Kyle Gullett led Johnson Central with 17 points. Blair scored 12.

Austin Frentos led Roger Bacon with 28 points. Carlas Jackson scored 20 and Cody Niesen 10.

ROGER BACON 26 17 16 27 -- 86: Williams 1, Higgs 8, Niesen 10, Frentos 28, Greene 3, McGee 3, McBride 2, Epperson 4, Moore 5, Jackson 20.

JOHNSON CENTRAL 13 15 14 26 -- 68. Adkins 4, Vance 0, B. Blair 12, McKenzie 2, McPeek 0, Salyer 9, Ratliff 2, Gullett 17, Rice 6, S. Hall 14.

I watched this game and thought Johnson Central played will after they settled down. I am not saying this affected who won this game but I thought they received two tough whistles during one of their runs in the second half. They had a had a breakaway and it appeared to me the player was fouled intentionally and converted the basket. The officials called the foul on the on the floor, ball out of bounds. On the inbounds play JC ran a curl to Hall who laid it in and was possible fouled but the whistle was for an illegal screen. On the next possession Roger Bacon hits a three. This series was potentially a 6-8 point swing and would have got the lead under 10, it was 13 at the time. Would have been interesting from there. BTW I am not a JC fan, unbiased for the game.