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Final.

Great run by Cooper

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Brady Hightchew had 12 points and Drew McDonald 10. NCC shot 38 percent.

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3/3/2012
Newport Central Catholic 52
Cooper 38
Newport Central Catholic 10 10 15 17 52
Cooper 8 7 9 14 38
9th Region at NKU
Newport Central Catholic (22-8) -- Hightchew 16, Schulte 13, Buter 10, Ryan 5, McDonald 4, Seibert 2, Miller 2.
Cooper (16-15) -- Maniacci 15, Cook 7, Morgan 6, Collins 4, Webster 4, Shelton 2.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2009/12/02/10403...rylink=cpy

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Newport Central Catholic 52, Cooper 38 (9th): Senior Brady Hightchew scored 16 points, including the 1,000th of his career, in the Thoroughbreds' semifinals victory at Northern Kentucky University.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/03/03/20943...rylink=cpy

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[Image: http://cmsimg.nky.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bil...onal-final]

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When the final buzzer sounded, wrapping up Newport Central Catholic’s 52-38 Ninth Region tournament semifinal victory over Cooper on Saturday at Bank of Kentucky Center, both school’s cheering sections stood and applauded.

NewCath fans clapped as the Thoroughbreds made it back to the final for the second year in a row, this time without last season’s Enquirer Northern Kentucky player of the year, Jake Giesler.

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“It’s an amazing accomplishment,” said Thoroughbreds senior Brady Hightchew who scored his 1,000th career point against Cooper on the way to a game-high 16 and six assists. “I’m so proud of the team because we worked hard.”

NewCath (22-8) seeks its first regional title in 11 years in today’s 1 p.m. final against Boone County. The ’Breds lost last year’s final to Dixie Heights in quadruple-overtime. Cooper finishes the season 16-15.

“Anytime you go back-to-back to the regional final is important,” said coach Grant Brannen, who was an assistant under Ron Dawn when NewCath last won the region in 2001. “But we’re not satisfied getting there again. We want to to win it.”

NewCath, ranked seventh in the final Enquirer Northern Kentucky coaches’ poll, ended 10th-ranked Cooper’s season with a clamp-down on the perimeter. The Jaguars shot 1-for-12 from 3-point range and 13-for-34 (38.2 percent) overall while the ’Breds shot 51.2 percent (20-for-39).

“Coach told me and Zach Ryan not to let their shooters put the ball on the floor,” said Hightchew, who held A.J. Collins to four points.

Jake Schulte scored 13 points for NewCath and Michael Bueter added 10.

Cooper supporters cheered the end of the most successful season in the Jaguars’ four-year history. Cooper posted its first winning season under coach Tim Sullivan, won its first district title and its first regional tournament game. Junior center Louis Maniacci led the Jaguars Saturday with 15 points.

Senior Alex Webster has been with Cooper from the beginning. He endured a 2-25 first season and a 17-game losing streak as a freshman and a 5-25 season as a sophomore. When Webster fouled out in the fourth quarter and headed to the end of the bench, Sullivan stopped him and gave him a long hug.

“Our seniors are special, but he is the heart and soul of what we’re all about,” Sullivan said of Webster, who was held to four points. “He took the team this year and put them on his back. He took us on a real special ride.”

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[Image: http://cmsimg.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcsi....0&Border=0]

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Newport Central Catholic 52, Cooper 38: Brady Hightchew’s 16 points boosted the Thoroughbreds (22-8) over the Jaguars (16-15) in the semifinals at Northern Kentucky University.http://saxo.highschoolsports.net/article...ls?Avis=B2