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01-23-2009, 12:41 AM
Highlands 21 18 19 20 78
Conner 22 21 13 11 67
Kenton Co. Classic
Semifinals at Simon Kenton
Highlands (14-4) -- Lother 6, Gordan 5, Kanolonek 17, Smith-Keller 8, Watson 4, Dill 4, Grote 22, Grubbs 12.
Conner (11-7) -- Liechty 2, Avery 18, Broyles 11, C.Lang 19, Robinson 6, Hodges 11.
Conner 22 21 13 11 67
Kenton Co. Classic
Semifinals at Simon Kenton
Highlands (14-4) -- Lother 6, Gordan 5, Kanolonek 17, Smith-Keller 8, Watson 4, Dill 4, Grote 22, Grubbs 12.
Conner (11-7) -- Liechty 2, Avery 18, Broyles 11, C.Lang 19, Robinson 6, Hodges 11.
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01-23-2009, 09:52 AM
Highlands basketball coach Willie Schlarman gave his team a speech recently about needing to hold opponents to 55 points. That speech had to be modified at halftime Thursday night as the Bluebirds trailed Conner 43-39 in the semifinals of the Kenton County Basketball Classic at Simon Kenton.
The Bluebirds got the message in the second half as they pulled away for a 78-67 win over the Cougars.
"At halftime I told them that speech goes out the window," Schlarman said. "What we need to do is take 55, cut it in half for 27, and if we hold them to under that, I feel like we have a strong shot. And we did that."
Highlands, No. 3 in the Enquirer Northern Kentucky coaches' poll, will play Dixie Heights Saturday night in the championship game at Dixie Heights.
Guard George Grote led three Highlands scorers in double figures with 22 points. Stephen Kowolonek scored 17 points and center Tyler Grubbs came off the bench to score 12 points and add a physical presence near the basket.
Chris Lang led No. 8 Conner with 19 points and Demetrius Avery added 18. Tyler Hodges and Jeremey Broyles each scored 11 points for the Cougars.
Conner led by as many as eight points in the first half - 43-35, with 2:05 left in the second quarter - but Highlands scored the last four points of the half and outscored the Cougars 19-13 in the third quarter to take a 58-56 lead. Highlands held Conner scoreless for 3:10 in the fourth quarter to go from a 61-60 disadvantage to a lead it never relinquished.
"I felt pretty strongly that (Conner) would slow down shooting those shots," said Schlarman. "They were really white-hot in the first half."
It was the ninth win in the last 10 games for Highlands.
Avery kept Conner in the game early, scoring nine points in the first quarter to help offset the 11 points Highlands got from Kowolonek as the Cougars led 22-21 after the first eight minutes. Avery totaled 15 points in the first half but was held to one 3-point shot in the second.
Grote scored 10 of his game-high total in the second quarter. His two 3-pointers tied the score at 52 with 2:40 left in the third quarter.
"Our defense really stepped up in the second half and our guards did a good job of not turning the ball over, getting it to open people and knocking down shots," said Grubbs, who missed last week's 58-54 loss to Beechwood due to illness. "The way we played in the first half, I thought it would be just a matter of time before we jumped on them. Our defense was lacking (in the first half) but we made them keep running up and down the floor. Coach makes us run so much we're in good condition. Those tough practices really helped us."
The teams play again Jan. 31 at Highlands.
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll...901230431/
The Bluebirds got the message in the second half as they pulled away for a 78-67 win over the Cougars.
"At halftime I told them that speech goes out the window," Schlarman said. "What we need to do is take 55, cut it in half for 27, and if we hold them to under that, I feel like we have a strong shot. And we did that."
Highlands, No. 3 in the Enquirer Northern Kentucky coaches' poll, will play Dixie Heights Saturday night in the championship game at Dixie Heights.
Guard George Grote led three Highlands scorers in double figures with 22 points. Stephen Kowolonek scored 17 points and center Tyler Grubbs came off the bench to score 12 points and add a physical presence near the basket.
Chris Lang led No. 8 Conner with 19 points and Demetrius Avery added 18. Tyler Hodges and Jeremey Broyles each scored 11 points for the Cougars.
Conner led by as many as eight points in the first half - 43-35, with 2:05 left in the second quarter - but Highlands scored the last four points of the half and outscored the Cougars 19-13 in the third quarter to take a 58-56 lead. Highlands held Conner scoreless for 3:10 in the fourth quarter to go from a 61-60 disadvantage to a lead it never relinquished.
"I felt pretty strongly that (Conner) would slow down shooting those shots," said Schlarman. "They were really white-hot in the first half."
It was the ninth win in the last 10 games for Highlands.
Avery kept Conner in the game early, scoring nine points in the first quarter to help offset the 11 points Highlands got from Kowolonek as the Cougars led 22-21 after the first eight minutes. Avery totaled 15 points in the first half but was held to one 3-point shot in the second.
Grote scored 10 of his game-high total in the second quarter. His two 3-pointers tied the score at 52 with 2:40 left in the third quarter.
"Our defense really stepped up in the second half and our guards did a good job of not turning the ball over, getting it to open people and knocking down shots," said Grubbs, who missed last week's 58-54 loss to Beechwood due to illness. "The way we played in the first half, I thought it would be just a matter of time before we jumped on them. Our defense was lacking (in the first half) but we made them keep running up and down the floor. Coach makes us run so much we're in good condition. Those tough practices really helped us."
The teams play again Jan. 31 at Highlands.
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll...901230431/
01-23-2009, 11:07 AM
Congrats Highlands
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