After going 71 years between regional basketball championships, the Lyon County Lyons now have four titles in just five seasons. The Lyons strengthened their argument for the being the team of the 2020’s in the 2nd Region Tuesday night as they avenged last year’s regional semifinal loss by knocking off defending regional champ Henderson County 64-61 in a heart-stopping, double overtime epic at Madisonville-North Hopkins.
Nolan Coffman’s spinning jumper in the lane with 35 seconds left in the second overtime turned out to be the game winner for the Lyons, who moments earlier had seen 2nd Region ‘Player of the Year’ Bray Kirk foul out of the game.
The Lyons survived icy cold free throw shooting in the fourth quarter and overtimes plus losing starters Carson Collins and Bray Kirk to fouls.
It was one of those games it was a shame that either team had to lose it as both battled from end to end of the court for the entire 40 minutes of the game.
With the win, the Lyons lay claim to both the 2nd Region championship and the All A Classic 2nd Region championship for the third time in the same five year span.
The atmosphere around Don Parsons Court was electric as the game tipped off and that current carried over to how the teams played on the floor from the start.
The Lyons opened with four quick points but Henderson came right back with four of its own to tie the game at 4-4. Lyon County hit with another four points to run the lead out to 8-4.
Henderson County got a thunderous dunk off a steal to cut the lead to 8-6 and bring the Henderson fans to their feet. It was the second straight slam for the Colonels, one from Amare Stewart and the other from Xavion Johnson.
Getting solid early play from Bray Kirk and Isaac Defew, the Lyons pushed the lead out to 11-6 late in the opening quarter. The Colonels’ Wyatt Townsend knocked down a big three to trim the lead to 11-9.
Lyon County had a chance to get a little late quarter momentum with a 13-9 lead and the ball. However, as the Lyons were looking to get the last shot of the quarter, Zayden Martin came up with the steal and beat the horn at the other end to cut the Lyon County lead to 13-11 after one.
Both teams were getting after it on defense with both full court pressure and ‘in your grill’ half-court defense. There was no such thing as an easy shot on either end of the court during the first eight minutes of the game and not a iota of that would change when the second quarter got rolling.
Henderson scored the opening basket of the second quarter to pull even at 13-13 and the battle on the floor found a new gear as neither team gave any indication of even considering backing down from the other. The game had four ties and four lead changes in the second.
The last tie came at 21-21 inside the final minute of the half. Henderson’s Zephaniah Thomas came up with a steal on a Lyon County inbounds attempt to put the Colonels up 23-21. But the Lyons had an answer, Jett Reddick popped open on the left wing and drained a three with 4 seconds to go in the half, sending the Lyon faithful into a full blown frenzy and the Lyons into the break with a 24-23 lead.
Bray Kirk and Cooper Collins had six points each to lead Lyon County at the break. Nolan Coffman had just two points but had come up with 3 rebounds and 4 blocked shots.
Amare Stewart scored six in the half for Henderson County, one of seven Colonels to get into the scoring column during the first 16 minutes.
Lyon County won the battle of the boards in the half 14 to 11, while Henderson County was better at ball security, turning the ball over five times to the Lyons’ seven miscues.
The defending champs came out of the break and used their outside shooting to firmly put the pressure on the Lyons. Threes from Amare Stewart and Zephaniah Thomas were part of a 10-0 Henderson County run to open the second half that gave the Colonels a 33-24 lead. But if basketball fans in the 2nd Region have learned anything over the past five seasons it is that the Lyon County Lyons are nothing if not a resilient basketball team.
Three pointers from the Collins’ brothers and Bray Kirk were the biggest part of a 13-0 blitz that moved Lyon County back in front 37-33. Xavion Johnson finally stemmed the tide with a pair of free throws with 57.8 seconds to go in the third.
Bray Kirk’s two free throws with just over 30 seconds to go capped off the scoring for the quarter and put the Lyons just 8 minutes from the trip to Rupp with a 39-35 lead.
The Lyons had chances early in the fourth quarter to start pulling away but missed four straight free throws. However, after the second Henderson turnover of the final quarter, Cooper Collins got open in the left corner and buried his third bomb of the night to extend the lead to 42-35 and draw a Henderson timeout with 6:30 to go.
An old fashioned three-point play from Zephaniah Thomas kept another Lyon County run from getting started and got the Colonels back to within four. Malaikye Taylor’s basket off a Lyon County miscue cut the lead to 42-40 and got a timeout from Lyon County coach Ryan Perry with 5:27 left to go in the game.
Travis Little came up ‘big’ for the Colonels moments later, making his first shot of the night, a three that put Henderson back in front 43-42. After Carson Collins fouled out with 4:06 to go, Henderson made one of two at the line to make it 44-42.
Lyon County came back and took the lead at 45-44. Two Xavion Johnson free throws moved Henderson back to the lead at 46-45 with 3:05 left. Bray Kirk then scored on a drive to make it 47-46 Lyon County. Another Kirk drive and the Lyons were up 49-46.
However, Henderson came back with a free throw and then a basket from Xavion Johnson to tie the game at 49-49 with 1:00 to go in the game.
Lyon County ran the clock down inside the final seconds and Bray Kirk drew a foul with 7.8 seconds go. But Kirk missed both tosses and Henderson got the rebound, taking a timeout with 6 seconds to go.
Henderson County got a jumper from Xavion Johnson at the free throw line that was just off and the final seconds of regulation ticked away with the score at 49-49.
Lyon County’s struggles at the line in the fourth allowed Henderson County to make it into overtime. The Lyons hit just one of eight from the free throw line over the final eight minutes.
The overtime opened with Nolan Coffman going 1 of 2 at the line to put Lyon County back in front 50-49. The score stayed that way until Bray Kirk made 1 of 2 free throws with 1:33 left to make it 51-49. After a crucial Henderson turnover, Kirk hit Nolan Coffman on a cut to the basket with 1:00 to go, giving the Lyons a 53-49 lead. Another costly turnover, gave the Lyons the ball back with 36.2 seconds to go. Lyon County returned the favor and Malaikye Taylor scored with 26.3 seconds to go. Taylor was fouled on the shot but missed the free throw. Isaac Defew got the board an was fouled. But those doggone free throw issues as Defew missed both free throws. Henderson went down the court missed a shot but Braden Williams got the putback with .5 seconds to go and sent the game to the second overtime at 53-53.
The first 3 ½ minutes of the second overtime saw two ties and six lead changes. Lyon County’s Bray Kirk fouled out with 1:11 left in the game and Xavion Johnson hit both free throws to put Henderson up 61-60. Nolan Coffman knocked down a spinning jumper in the lane with 35 seconds left to put Lyon back in front 62-61.
Henderson County got down the floor but missed a shot with 15.6 seconds left. The rebound was a tied ball with the arrow pointing towards Lyon County. Coffman was then fouled with 12.9 seconds left and this time made both free throws, putting the Lyons up 64-61.
Henderson County Xavion Johnson got up a three and missed with the Lyons pulling down the rebound, but, in celebration the Lyons flung the ball towards the ceiling and the ball made contact with the top of the gym with 1.1 seconds left, giving Henderson County one last chance.
Wyatt Townsend got off a long three at the horn, but the shot was off line and the Lyon County sidelines and fans erupted into celebration.
The Lyons overcame 8 of 20 free throw shooting in the 4th quarter and overtimes to pull out a heart-stopping win and earn their trip back to Lexington.
Bray Kirk, the 2nd Region ‘Player of the Year’ finished the night with 24 points to lead Lyon County. Nolan Coffman, in addition to hitting the go-ahead basket at the end, had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Cooper Collins knocked down four threes and had 13 points. Isaac Defew had just four points but came up with 11 big rebounds.
Henderson County was led by Xavion Johnson with 19 points. Zephaniah Thomas came off the bench to score 11 points. Amare Stewart and Malaikye Taylor added 9 points each.
With the loss, Henderson County ends the season with a 26-5 record.
Lyon County improves to 29-6 and will now move on to next week’s Boys Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena to face the champion of the 8th Region, North Oldham, in the 6pm game next Thursday night. The two teams met back on December 29 in the White, Greer & Maggard Holliday Classic with North Oldham taking a 47-37 win. Prior to dropping a two-point decision to Henderson County the day after they won the All A Classic, that was the Lyons’ last loss.
