Travis Perry will face a test against Newport's defense. (Les Nicholson Photo)
Lyon County brought huge crowds to Rupp Arena last season when it played two games at the state tournament.
Lyon is back again this year and will play Newport this afternoon with junior guard Travis Perry needing 21 points to become the state’s all-time leading career scorer.
Lyon coach Ryan Perry, Travis’ father, said Monday that city hall had already announced it would be closed Thursday and Friday.
“We arrived an hour before tipoff at Madisonville for the regional final and our side of the arena was 3/4 full already,” Ryan Perry said. “We have a following not just from Lyon County but fans are coming from all over because they enjoy the way we go about playing the game. It’s a fun style. I think there will be a really good crowd at Rupp watching the Lyons play.”
It has been that way all year and Lyon is on a 16-game win streak since a Jan. 10 loss to University Heights in the 2nd Region All “A” Classic. That game came three days after Lyon beat North Laurel and UK signee Reed Sheppard in Lexington. Ryan Perry said the team had a letdown against UHA.
“We didn’t get up for the game. We got up for the previous game and that was on me,” the Lyon coach said. “That loss really hurt those guys.”
Travis Perry averages 32 points per game but junior teammates Brady Shoulders (18.1) and Jack Reddick (19.0) are also productive, consistent scorers. Perry has a state best 167 3’s and shoots 45 percent from deep while Reddick and Shoulders have combined for 121 3’s.
Newport has a young but talented team that Ryan Perry says is the “best defensive team” Lyon has faced.
“They are dynamic. They can block shots. They are fast,” the Lyon coach said. “They do everything you need. It is going to be a really tough game and has the makings of a really good game. We like to score and they don’t like to give up points. Something has to give.’
Ryan Perry said other teams have tried to slow down the Lyons and there are things they will do to try and increase the pace.
“We have to do some stuff defensively to pick the pace up,” he said. “We can play slow down basketball and run sets. It’s just that we like to play a faster brand because it is more exciting. They are not the first team to try and slow the ball down against us. We see that quite frankly because people know we have success making the game a track meet.”
