It was a magical season for the Lyon County Lyons, but that magic just happened to run out, or maybe it was really the clock that ran out on the Lyons Friday night at Rupp Arena. Evan Ipsaro’s two free throws with nine seconds left in the game sealed a hard-fought 59-57 win for Covington Catholic in the quarterfinals of the UK HealthCare Boys’ Sweet 16. Ipsaro’s free throws gave the Colonels a 59-55 lead. Jack Reddick would add a final basket just ahead of the final horn for Lyon County to set the final score.
Many had gone into the game wondering if the Lyons Could play with the “Goliath” team from Covington. One thing that was made clear during the game Friday night, was that team from Eddyville belonged on any court with any team in the state, and they very nearly got to play on the final day of the season.
Travis Perry got the Lyons’ engine rolling out of the game. Perry scored the Lyons’ first six points as they took a 6-3 lead with 5:38 to go in the opening quarter.
Led by big man Mitchell Rylee, the Colonels fought back and, after a Rylee slam had tied the game at 10-10 with 3:47 left in the first. Another basket from Rylee and a trio of free throws later and Covington Catholic had their biggest lead of the opening quarter at 15-11.
Jackson Shoulders scored in the final minute of the quarter to cut the lead to 15-13 after one.
The Lyons shot the ball well in the opening quarter, they just weren’t getting enough of them. Lyon County was 5 of 6 from the field in the first eight minutes, while Covington Catholic only hit 33-percent, but they got up 15 shots. Much as it had the night before, the Colonels’ strength on the boards was keeping them in front early.
Kascyl McGillis found the range for Catholic to start the second quarter. McGillis buried two deep threes to extend the lead to 21-13 less than a minute in.
Just as it looked as if the Lyons were on the brink, once again, back they came, free throws from Jackson Shoulders and baskets from Travis Perry and Gunnar Bingham trimmed the lead to 21-19 with 5:27 left in the half.
The Covington Catholic lead was at 23-21 when the Colonels hit the Lyons with another run. McGillis drilled his third three of the quarter and the Colonels got a couple of baskets down close and the lead quickly jumped to 30-21.
Lyon County would close to within 30-25 on a baseline jumper from Luke Gilbert before Evan Ipsaro scored with 5 seconds left in the half to give Covington Catholic a 32-25 lead at the break.
The story of the second quarter for the Lyons was that they cooled off from the field, almost icy cold. After hitting 5 of 6 in the first quarter, the Lyon were just 3 of 18 in the second for a total of 8 of 24 in the opening half. The Lyons were 0 of 5 from behind the arc for the half.
Covington Catholic was not exactly burning the nets off, as they hit just 11 of 25 for 44-percent in the half. A big difference between the two teams is that the Colonels were able to knock down 5 of 12 threes.
Lyon County did win the battle of the boards in the opening half 18-13.
After the teams traded baskets coming out of the locker room, Kascyl McGinnis looked like he had put the Lyons back on their heels with a three-pointer that moved the lead out to the biggest of the night at 37-28. But Lyon County would just not go away.
A layup from Brady Shoulders, a free throw from Jack Reddick, and a basket from Jackson Shoulders and Lyon County quickly cut the lead back to 37-33. Mekhi Wilson scored a hoop for the Colonels, but then Jack Reddick responded with a layup and two free throws to cut the Covington Catholic lead to 39-37 with 3:42 left in the third.
After McGinnis and Nick Whalin traded baskets, both teams hit a lull. Neither team scored for more than two minutes towards the end of the third quarter. That lull was ended by Travis Perry who scored a layup down the lane with 23 seconds left to tie the game at 41-41 heading into the final quarter.
It would come down to an 8-minute game to see which team would advance to the semifinals.
Ever since the first quarter it had felt like if Lyon County could just ever get to the lead that David would once again take down Goliath.
As the final quarter began, the Lyons took aim and let their stone fly. Jackson Shoulders scored back-to-back baskets down in the lane to give Lyon County a 45-41 lead with 6:20 to go, and the Lyon County crowd, along with everyone else except the Covington Catholic fans began to roar in anticipation of the Lyons making a big move.
But give the Colonels credit, they played a state title contender is supposed to play when they are threatened. A basket from Rylee and then a three from Brady Hussey put Catholic back on top.
Travis Perry came up with a perfect pass to Nick Whalin and Whalin finished it off to give Lyon County a 47-46 lead, but it would be the last time the Lyons would be in front.
Hussey scored back-to-back baskets for the Colonels and Catholic was up 50-47.
Then Travis Perry does what Travis Perry does, he knocked down a deep three to tie the game at 50-50 with 1:53 left, and Rupp was roaring again.
But this time, the Colonels would have the final answers. A Brady Hussey three made it 53-50. Then, after a Lyon County turnover, with the Lyons trapping on defense, Mitchell Rylee sprung clear and shook the house with a slam to extend the lead to 55-50.
Perry cut it to 55-52. But that was followed by a Rylee tip-in and the lead was 57-52 with just 42 seconds left. And then, Travis Perry did it one more time for the season.
Coming down the middle of the court, Perry did his best Tayshaun Prince imitation and knocked down a long three and the lead was down to just two at 57-55.
The problem now was the Lyons needed to foul and put Catholic at the line, but they were nowhere close to putting the Colonels in the bonus. By the time they were able to send Covington Catholic to the line for a one-and-the-bonus, the clock had ticked down from 35 seconds to nine, setting the stage for Evan Ipsaro’s game-sealing free throws.
Travis Perry finished the game with 21 points and 7 rebounds. Jackson Shoulders, in his final game in a Lyon County basketball uniform had a big double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Jack Reddick added nine for the Lyons.
Covington Catholic was led by Kascyl McGillis with 17 points, including five huge three-point shots. Mitchell Rylee had 16 points and 11 rebounds. Brady Hussey added 13 points, including three crucial three-pointers.
After being outshot, in terms of numbers, in the opening quarter, the Lyons would end up taking one more shot and hitting one less. Lyon County hit 42.9-percent, while Catholic hit 45.8.
Three-pointers decided the contest, as Covington Catholic hit eight, while Lyon County made just two.
After Catholic had crushed Ashland on the boards the day before, Lyon County ended up winning the rebounding battle 31-26.
The Lyons finish their season at 29-7.
While it was a loss that ended their season short of their ultimate goal, no one will ever be able to say that this team did not belong with the “big boys” on the court at Rupp. This Lyon County team managed to prove to the state that they are one of the “big boys.”
