Lady Saints rout Bracken Co., win Villa Madonna Holiday Classic

The Payne twins combined for 39 points to lead the St. Patrick Lady Saints to a 70-38 win over the Bracken County Lady Bears Wednesday in the championship game of the Villa Madonna Holiday Classic. Charisma Payne scored 20 points and Ciera Payne tossed in 19 points. Brooke Mosler had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Lydia Hamilton grabbed 10 rebounds. Charisma Payne, Ciera Payne and Chelsea Douglas were named to the All-Tournament Team. St. Patrick (9-0) plays Ashland Saturday at 3:3o p.m. in the Ashland Kitten Shootout.

Lady Royals lose to N. Laurel 52-44

The Mason County Lady Royals lost to the North Laurel Lady Jaguars 52-44 Wednesday in the third place game at the Cardinal Candy Cane Classic in London. Mason County (9-4) hosts Augusta Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

Royals win a wild one over Ashland 64-53 in AIT finals

The Mason County Royals led by as many as 19 points in the second quarter and 18 in the third quarter but trailed by 4 early in the fourth quarter before pulling out a 64-53 win over the Ashland Tomcats in the championship game of the Ashland Invitational Tournament tonight. Ashland outscored Mason County 28-9 in the third quarter including an 18-0 run. Mason County outscored Ashland 24-11 in the fourth quarter. Ryne King and Rheuben Bluford came off the bench and scored 12 points a piece. That is a career-high for Rheuben Bluford. Justin Lang scored 11 points, Tyler Black and Treg Setty each scored 10, and Jordan Gilbert added 9 points. The Royals hit 11-of-12 free throws in the fourth quarter for the second straight night. Gilbert, Lang, Black, and Setty were named to the All-Tournament team. Mason County (9-2) hosts defending state champions Holmes Saturday night.

Anniversary of Chris Lofton 3 pointer vs. Lexington Catholic

I made note of this on the Royals' 50th season blog- Chris Lofton hit a 30-foot shot to force overtime against Lexington Catholic in the Fifth-Third Bank Holiday Classic six years ago tonight. Mason County went on to win the game. Here's a video of the shot:

Miller with a career-high four three-pointers in UK's rout of Hartford

Darius Miller made a career-high four three-pointers and scored a season-high 16 points in Kentucky's 104-61 win over Hartford Tuesday night. Miller was 6-of-8 from the field including 4-of-6 from three-point range. He also had five assists and one rebound. The Wildcats host Louisville on Saturday.

Lady Royals defeat Harlan 52-33 in London

The Mason County Lady Royals snapped a two-game losing streak with a 52-33 win over Harlan Tuesday night in the Cardinal Candy Cane Classic in London. Keller Menke scored 13 points and Katelyn Smith added 11 points. With nine victories, Mason County has exceeded its win-total for all of last season. The Lady Royals play North Laurel again today at 4 p.m. North Laurel beat Mason County 61-39 Monday night.

MC (9-2) Likins 4, B. Menke 9, K. Menke 13, Moore 5, Moran 7, Queen 3, Smith 11

Saints lose to Clark Montessorri 52-39 in Ripley Holiday Classic

The St. Patrick Saints lost to Clark Montessorri 52-39 Tuesday night in the Ripley Holiday Classic. The Saints play in the consolation game tonight.

Three Lady Saints in double figures in 50-48 win over Holmes

Three St. Patrick players scored in double figures and the Lady Saints edged Holmes 50-48 Tuesday night in the Villa Madonna Holiday Classic. Anne Klee had a double-double with 15 points and 16 rebounds. Chelsea Douglas scored 14 points and Charisma Payne added 12 points.
St. Patrick plays the Bracken County Lady Bears in the championship game today at 3:15.

SP (8-0) Klee 15, Douglas 14, Ch. Payne 12, Ci. Payne 9,
H (5-6) Turner 3, Hughes 20, Peterson 3, Holder 5, Mayes 8, Housley 7, Diamon 2

Royals beat Brossart 49-41 advance to AIT finals

The Mason County Royals made 19-of-21 free throws including 11-of-12 in the 4th quarter to beat the Bishop Brossart Mustangs 49-41 tonight in the semifinals of the Ashland Invitational Tournament. Tyler Black led the Royals in scoring with a career-high 18 points. Treg Setty scored 11 points and Jordan Gilbert added 10. Mason County plays Ashland in the championship game Wednesday at 8:30 p.m.

MC (8-2) Gilbert 10, J. Lang 4, Black 18, Setty 11, B. Lang 3, King 3
BB (8-1) Armstrong 9, Morscher 8, Rieger 17, Noton 5, Saunders 2

MC FG 43.8% 3 PT 28.6% FT 90.5% REB 22 TO 11
BB FG 44.4% 3 PT 30.8% FT 55.6% REB 18 TO 13

MC 13 07 14 15-49
BB 10 08 12 11-41

Harris second team all-state, Pawsat and Gilbert honorable mention by Courier-Journal

Mason County sophomore linebacker Josh Harris has been named second team all-state by the Courier-Journal. Junior quarterback Neal Pawsat and junior wide receiver Jordan Gilbert received honorable mention recognition. Here is a link to the Courier-Journal all-state teams.

Saints fall to Fleming County 69-52

The St. Patrick Saints lost to the Fleming County Panthers 69-52 Monday night in Flemingsburg. The Panthers outscored the Saints 46-24 in the second half. Stephen Mason led the Saints in scoring with 22 points. St. Patrick plays Clark Montessorri today at 6 p.m. in the Ripley Pepsi Classic.

SP (2-6) Burton 2, Mason 22, Yeary 4, L. Gallenstein 9, R. Gallenstein 9, Jodrey 4, Slack 2
FC (5-4) Dugan 15, Taylor 12, Jolly 3, Hicks 2, Duncan 4, Gray 25, Gooding 2, Gibbs 1, Kinder 5

SP FG 40.5% 3 PT FG 20% FT 59.3% REB 31 TO 24
FC FG 42.6% 3 PT FG 17.6& FT 63.6% REB 39 TO 15

SP 09 19 09 15-52
FC 03 20 18 28-69

Charisma Payne's 31 points lead Lady Saints to a 76-74 win over Powell County

Charisma Payne scored 31 points to lead the St. Patrick Lady Saints to a 76-74 win over the Powell County Lady Pirates tonight in the Villa Madonna Holiday Classic. Chelsea Douglas scored 19 points and Anne Klee added10 points.

SP (7-0) Klee 10, Douglas 19, Ch. Payne 31, Ci. Payne 8, Tolle 6, Hamilton 2
PC (4-3) Atkinson11, Boswell 4, McFarland 18, S. Rogers 23, Gibson 6, K. Rogers 6, May 6

Lady Royals fall to N. Laurel 51-39

The Mason County Lady Royals lost to North Laurel 51-39 tonight in the Cardinal Candy Cane Classic. McKayla Likins and Keller Menke scored 11 points apiece. Mason County plays Harlan Tuesday at 6 p.m.

MC (8-3) Gibbs 3, Likins 11, B. Menke 6, K. Menke 11, Moore 4, Smith 2, Weddle 2

Royals beat Christian County 53-50 in AIT

The Mason County Royals jumped out to a 15-0 lead and hung on to beat the Christian County Colonels 53-50 today in the opening round of the 55th Annual Ashland Invitational Tournament. Christian County had the ball with 15 seconds to play, but couldn't get off a shot and lost the ball out of bounds with 1.7 seconds remaining. Treg Setty led the Royals in scoring with 15 points. Justin Lang scored 13 points and made 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch. The Royals play Bishop Brossart in the semifinals Tuesday at 7 p.m. Brossart edged East Carter 51-49 in the tournament opener.

MC (7-2) Gilbert 6, J. Lang 13, Black 9, Setty 15, B. Lang 4, King 6
CC (9-1) Lewis 14, Hickey 5, Kates 22, Gayle 3, Tandy 4, Bowman 2

MC FG 43.2% 3 PT FG 50% FT 88.9% REB 26, TO 14
CC FG 35.2% 3 PT FG 29.4% FT 46.7% REB 40 TO 12

MC 17 10 14 12-53
CC 02 15 17 16-50

(Edited to correct Setty's scoring total)

Saints will play in the Ripley Pepsi Classic

The St. Patrick Saints will play in the Ripley Pepsi Classic beginning Tuesday. Here is the tournament schedule:

Tuesday

Junior Varsity
3:00 Felicity vs. Ripley
4:30 Clark vs. St. Patrick

Varsity
6:00 Clark vs St. Patrick
7:30 Felicity vs. Ripley

Wednesday

Junior Varsity
3:00 third place game
4:30 championship game

Varsity
6:00 third place game
7:30 championship game

Lady Royals lose to South Laurel 61-45

The Mason County Lady Royals lost to the South Laurel Lady Cardinals 61-45 Sunday night in the Cardinal Candy Cane Classic in London. Katelyn Smith led the Lady Royals in scoring with 10 points. Mason County plays North Laurel today 6 p.m.

MC (8-2) Cropper 2, Gibbs 2, Likins 2, B. Menke 7, K. Menke 8, Moore 7, Moran 2, Queen 4, Smith 10

Chris Lofton headed back to Spain

Chris Lofton headed back to Spain today to resume his professional basketball career. Lofton has signed to play for MMT Estudiantes for the final five months of the season. The team is based in Madrid and is a member of the ACB, Spain's premier professional league. Lofton played for Caja Laboral in Spain earlier this season before returning home last month. He played in Turkey last season- his first as a professional.

Lady Saints to play in Villa Madonna Holiday Classic

The St. Patrick Lady Saints will play in the Villa Madonna Holiday Classic beginning Monday. The Lady Saints, off to a 6-0 start, play the Powell County Lady Pirates Monday at 3:45 p.m.
Other teams in the tournament include, Jackson County, Holmes, Williamstown, Bracken County and Villa Madonna.

Lady Royals to play in Cardinal Candy Cane Classic

The Mason County Lady Royals will play in the Cardinal Candy Cane Classic in London beginning Sunday. Here are the pairings:

December 27
4:00 North Laurel vs. Allen Central
6:00 Harlan vs. Rowan County
8:00 South Laurel vs. Mason County

December 28
4:00 South Laurel vs. Rowan County
6:00 North Laurel vs. Mason County
8:00 Harlan vs. Allen Central

December 29
4:00 Harlan vs. Mason County
6:00 South Laurel vs. Allen Central
8:00 North Laurel vs. Rowan County

December 30
2:00 5th place vs. 6th place
4:00 3rd place vs. 4th place
6:00 championship game

Royals to play in the Ashland Invitational Tournament

The Mason County Royals will play in the 55th Annual Ashland Invitational Tournament beginning Monday. Here are the brackets. (Click on the brackets to enlarge them.)

UT names recruitment center after Chris Lofton

Here is a link to the press release from the University of Tennessse.

Lady Saints roll to sixth straight win

The St. Patrick Lady Saints extended their season-opening winning streak to six games with a 62-45 victory over St. Henry Tuesday night. Charisma Payne scored a career-high 18 points. Chelsea Douglas scored 15 points and Ciera Payne added 13 points. St. Patrick returns to action Monday against Powell County in the Villa Madonna Holiday Tournament.

SP (6-0) Klee 8, Douglas 15, Ch. Payne 18, Mosler 6, Ci. Payne 13, Hamilton 2
SH (6-2) O'Daniel 8, Bauer 1, Gramm 8, Hasken 2, Janszen 22, McArtor 2. Knaley 2

SP 21 16 11 14-62
SH 11 16 07 11-45

Royals win 3rd place game 60-50

The Mason County Royals scored the last 13 points to beat the Daviess County Panthers 60-50 in the third place game of the Citizens National Holiday Classic in Bowling Green. Jordan Gilbert and Tyler Black scored 13 points apiece. Bradley Lang added 12 points.

MC (6-2) Gilbert 13, J. Lang 7, Black 13, Setty 8, B. Lang 12, King 5, Fearis 2
DC (5-5) Lasbrook 5, Belcher 10, Wilkerson 2, Simon 17, Herzog 4, Stevenson 12

MC FG 46.6% 3 PT FG 22.2% FT 36.4% REB 37 TO 17
DC FG 44.9% 3 PT FG 33.3% FT 50% REB 28 TO 20

MC 18 12 14 15-60

DC 15 10 18 07-50

Lady Royals take 3rd place

The Mason County Lady Royals defeated Woodford County today by a score of 45-44 to take third place in the Berea Holiday Classic. This win brings the Lady Royals' record to 8 - 1.

Royals lose to Greenwood 68-61

The Mason County Royals fell behind by 14 and lost to the Greenwood Gators 68-61 today in the semifinals of the Citizens First Holiday Classic. The Royals pulled to within 5 in the 4th quarter but could get no closer. Dee Anderson had 31 points and 13 rebounds for Greenwood. Treg Setty had 23 points and 12 rebounds for Mason County. The Royals play Daviess County in the third place game tonight at 6:30 Central Time.

MC (5-2) Gilbert 10, J. Lang 9, Black 9, Setty 23, B. Lang 7, King 3
G (9-1) Embry 2, Anderson 31, Turner 4, Disney 12, Stumbo 7, Raymer 6, Iverson 2, Witthuhn 4

MC FG 38.3% 3 PT FG 21.7% FT 76.9% REB 37 TO 14
G FG 39.2% 3 PT FG 30.8% FT 66.7% REB 37 TO 13

MC 13 14 08 26-61
G 22 11 16 19-68

Brooke Mosler had double-double in Lady Saints win over Dixie Heights

Brooke Mosler had a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds, Chelsea Douglas scored 21 points and Charisma Payne added 13 points as the St. Patrick Lady Saints beat the Dixie Heights Lady Colonels 74-59 tonight. Anne Klee had 12 rebounds. The Lady Saints are back in action Tuesday night at home against St. Henry.

SP (5-0) Klee 9, Douglas 21, Ch. Payne 13, Mosler 21, Ciera Payne 6, Hamilton 4,
DH () Rader 7, Elbon 19, Jackson 12, Hartfield 15, Elkus 2, Marsolen 2, Kruetzkamp 2

Royals hold off late charging Ryle 51-46

The Mason County Royals led by 13 after three quarters only to see the Ryle Raiders open the fourth quarter with a 13-0 run. But the Royals regrouped and won 51-46 tonight in the Citizens First Holiday Classic at Bowling Green High School. Jordan Gilbert's three-pointer at the end of the third quarter made it 43-30, but the Royals didn't score again until the 3:28 mark of the fourth quarter. Gilbert and Justin Lang each had a steal and a lay-up down the stretch. Treg Setty led the Royals in scoring with 16 points and Bradley Lang scored a career-high 14 points. Mason County wins its pool and advances to the semifinals to play Greenwood Tuesday at 2 p.m. Central Time.

MC (5-1) Gilbert 5, J. Lang 8, Black 4, Setty 16, B. Lang 14, Bluford 4
R (3-5) Perkins 4, Stauffer 12, McLeish 16, Coleman 9, Stinson 1, Vollet 4

MC FG 38.9% 3 PT FG 20% FT 60% REB 33 TO 12
R FG 44.7% 3 PT FG 33.3% FT 72.7% REB 26 TO 17

MC 07 16 20 08-51
R 08 12 10 16-46

Lady Royals lose to Tates Creek 57-46

The Mason County Lady Royals lost to the Tates Creek Lady Commodores 57-46 tonight in the semifinals of the Berea Holiday Classic. It's the first loss of the season for the Lady Royals. Keller Menke scored a game-high 21 points. Mason County plays in the third place game Tuesday at 6 p.m.

MC (7-1) Likins, 6, Moore 2, K. Menke 21, Smith 8, Queen 7
TC (6-2) Whaley 2, Harrison 19, Etling-Turner 8, Jonas 10, Pippen, 2, Heisel 16

MC 12 04 15 13-46
TC 13 09 19 16-57

Lady Saints beat Augusta 65-42 Saturday night

Chelsea Douglas scored 23 points to lead the St. Patrick Lady Saints to a 65-42 win over the Augusta Lady Panthers Saturday night in Augusta. Ciera Payne scored 16 points and Lydia Hamilton added 12 points. The Lady Saints host Dixie Heights tonight.

SP (4-0) Klee 2, Douglas 23, Ch. Payne 2, Mosler 4, Ci. Payne 16, Tolle 2, Hamilton 12, McKay 2, Fowler 2,
A (2-6) Harding 11, Hargett 14, Hay 2, Staggs 2, Lang 13

Royals hang on for a 52-50 win over Franklin-Simpson

The Mason County Royals used an 18-2 second half run to build an 11-point lead, but had to hang on to edge Franklin-Simpson 52-50 tonight in the Citizens First Holiday Classic at Bowling Green High School. Franklin-Simpson led 35-30 midway through the third quarter, but went 9:48 before scoring again. Mason County led 48-37 with less than two minutes left in the game. The Wildcats got to within three points at 50-47. Jordan Gilbert made two free throws to make it 52-47 with seven seconds to play. Mickey Lewis hit a long three-pointer right before time expired. Treg Setty had a double-double for the Royals with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Jordan Gilbert added 10 points and Bradley Lang grabbed 10 rebounds. Lewis led Franklin-Simpson with 22 points and scored all 14 of the Wildcats' points in the fourth quarter. Mason County will play Ryle Monday at 7 p.m. Central Time.

MC (4-1) Gilbert 10, J. Lang 5, Black 6, Setty 22, B. Lang 4, Fearis 5
FS (4-3) Lewis 22, Patterson 6, Randolph 9, Curtis 13

MC FG 39.1% 3 PT FG 45.5% FT 84.6% REB 33 TO 19
FS FG 40% 3 PT FG 37.5% FT 52.4% REB 29 TO 18

MC 15 11 11 15-52
FS 07 20 09 14-50

Lady Royals over Menifee Co. 63-44 at Berea

The Mason County Lady Royals ran their season-opening winning streak to seven games with a 63-44 victory over Menifee County tonight in the second round of the Berea Holiday Classic.
The Lady Royals will play Tates Creek in the semifinal round Monday at 6 p.m.

Lady Royals defeat Berea 48-31 to go 6-0

The Mason County Lady Royals defeated the Berea Lady Pirates 48-31 today in the opening game of the Berea Holiday Classic to remain unbeaten. Beth Queen scored 11 points and Keller Menke added 10 points. The Lady Royals will play the winner of the McCreary County vs. Menifee County game which was postponed until Sunday. The Lady Royals' second round game has been pushed back to 7 p.m. Sunday.


MC (6-0) K. Menke 10, Likins 9, Queen 11, Moran 2, Smith 4, Butler 6, Moore 2, Cropper 2,
Morton 2
B (3-4) Haycraft 2, Shearer 8, Coccari 5, Wilder 9, Short 2, Fain 5

MC 8 12 13 15-48
B 08 05 08 10-31

Miller scores 11 points in UK's win over Austin Peay

Darius Miller scored 11 points in Kentucky's 90-69 win over Austin Peay today at Rupp Arena. Miller was 4-of-7 from the field including 3-of-5 on three-point shots. He also had two assists, two blocks and one steal.

Royals suffer first loss at Highlands

Highlands senior point guard Zach Lother scored 12 points in the fourth quarter as the Bluebirds edged the Mason County Royals 48-46 tonight in Ft. Thomas. It's the Royals' first loss of the season. Mason County led by nine points in the first quarter and was up 37-33 early in the fourth quarter. Lother then scored seven straight points to put Highlands ahead 40-37. After Mason County went back in front 44-43, Lother hit a three-pointer and both ends of the one-and-one. He ended up with 17 points. Treg Setty had 17 points for Mason County and Tyler Black added 13 points. The Royals play Franklin-Simpson Sunday night in the Citizens First Holiday Classic in Bowling Green.

MC (3-1) Gilbert 5, J. Lang 6, Black 13, Setty 17, B. Lang 5
G (4-0) Lother 17, Gordon 4, Grubbs 9, Smith-Keller 5, Watson 5, Stewart 4, Dill 4

MC FG 51.4% 3 PT FG 20% FT 77.8% REB 21 TO 15
H FG 50% 3 PT FG 44.4% FT 61.5% REB 20 TO13

MC 13 11 11 11-46
H 08 14 11 15-48

Saints beat Big Trains 77-61

Stephen Mason and Lee Gallenstein combined for 43 points to lead the St. Patrick Saints to a 77-61 tonight. Mason scored 23 points and Gallenstein added 20. The Saints play at Eastern Brown Tuesday night.

SP (2-4) Mason 23, R. Gallenstein 20, Yeary 9, Slack 9, L. Gallenstein 7, Burton 5, Thomas 2, Newman 2
SG (0-6) Sandfoss 19, Vogel 12, Ginlee 11, Morris 11, Baumann 5, Hammons 3

SP 14 16 18 29-77
SG 10 11 14 26-81

Royals to play in Citizens First Holiday Classic

The Mason County Royals will play in the Citizens First Holiday Classic in Bowling Green beginning Sunday night. The tournament will be played in two gymnasiums at Bowling Green High School. It will begin with pool play. The times are Central Standard.

Pool A: Bowling Green, Christian Brothers, Buckhorn
Pool B: Greenwood, DeSales, Madison Southern
Pool C: Metcalfe County, Adair County, Daviess County
Pool D: Franklin-Simpson, Mason County, Ryle

Dec. 20
6:00 p.m. DeSales vs. Greenwood (Arena)
6:00 p.m. Metcalfe Co. vs. Adair Co. (Auxiliary)

7:30 p.m. Franklin-Simpson vs. Mason Co. (Arena)
7:30 p.m. Bowling Green vs. Christian Brothers (Auxiliary)

Dec. 21
1:30 p.m. Daviess Co. vs. Metcalfe Co. (Arena)
1:30 p.m. Madison Southern vs. DeSales (Auxiliary)

3:00 p.m. Ryle vs. Franklin-Simpson (Arena)
3:00 p.m. Christian Brothers vs. Buckhorn (Auxiliary)

5:30 p.m. Greenwood vs. Madison Southern (Arena)
5:30 p.m. Adair Co. vs. Daviess Co. (Auxiliary)

7:00 p.m. Buckhorn vs. Bowling Green (Arena)
7:00 p.m. Mason Co. vs. Ryle (Auxiliary)

Dec. 22
11:00 a.m. A3 vs. C3 (Game 1 in Arena)
11:00 a.m. B3 vs. D3 (Game 2 in Auxiliary)

12:30 p.m. B2 vs. D2 (Game 3 in Arena),
12:30 p.m. A2 vs. C2 (Game 4 in Auxiliary)

2:00 p.m. A1 vs. C1 (Game 5 in Arena),
2:00 p.m. B1 vs. D1 (Game 6 in Auxiliary)

3:30 p.m. Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner (Arena)
3:30 p.m. Game 2 loser vs. Game 1 loser (Auxiliary)

5:00 p.m. Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner (Arena)
5:00 p.m. Game 4 loser vs. Game 3 loser (Auxiliary)

6:30 p.m. Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner (Arena)
6:30 p.m. Game 6 loser vs. Game 6 loser (Auxiliary)

Bluegrasspreps.com boys basketball rankings

1. Holmes
2. Scott County
3. Eastern
4. Clark County
5. Shelby Valley
6. Ballard
7. Jeffersontown
8. Tates Creek
9. Christian County
10. Warren Central
11. Lexington Catholic
12. Trinity
13. Seneca
14. Highlands
15. Mason County
16. Shelby County
17. Pleasure Ridge Park
18. Iroquois
19. Paducah Tilghman
20. Fairdale

Berea Holiday Classic brackets

The Mason County Lady Royals will play in the Berea Holiday Classic beginning Saturday. Here are the brackets. (Click on the brackets to enlarge them.)

Mason County football banquet

The Mason County football banquet was held tonight at the Maysville Church of the Nazarene. Two new awards were presented. The Felici Felice No Excuses Award was presented to Butch Chain, the team's videographer. Colt Fearis received the Special Teams Award and the award will be named for Fearis. Other award winners include:

Tony Thomas Big Hit Award
Josh Harris

Chris Lofton/Andre Turner Team First Award
Akeem Jackson
Clay Cartmell
Lee Sutton

Andy Fryman Tradition Award
Josh Huron

Jamie Booher Hustle Award
Tyler Black

Harry Lewis Find a Way to Win Award
Jordan Gilbert

Dustin Grutza Extra Effort Award
Matt Eads
Alex Newton
Bradley Lang
Neal Pawsat

Brandon Drake/Jason Turner Captain Award
Colt Fearis

Smith's buzzer beater gives Lady Royals a 54-52 win

Katelyn Smith hit a long three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Mason County Lady Royals a 54-52 road win over the Holy Cross Lady Indians tonight. The Lady Royals led 40-26 in the third quarter, but the Lady Indians roared back with a 15-1 run tie it at 41-41. Mason County went back out in front only to see Holy Cross come back again. The Lady Indians took a 53-52 lead with 23 seconds to play and were up 52-51 and shooting two free throws with 1.4 seconds remaining. After missing the first shot, the Holy Cross player intentionally missed the second but failed to hit the rim and Mason County got the ball out of bounds length of the court. After a timeout, McKayla Likins threw the inbounds pass into front court to Smith who took one dribble and launched the game-winning shot. Smith had a team-high 15 points. Mason County (5-0) plays Berea Saturday in the Berea Holiday Classic.

MC (5-0) Smith 15, K. Menke 12, Queen 13, Butler 2, Likins 2
HC (1-5) Beal 20, Gould 1, Julian 14, Ward 4, Frye 4, McElheney 4, Staubitz 5

MC FG 40.4% 3 PT Fg 38.9% FT 47.4% REB 29 TO 17
HC FG 36.7% 3 PT FG 38.9% FT 55.6% REB 39 TO 18

(Edited to correct the score)

Checking in with the local college ballers

Here is how the local college basketball players did over the weekend:

• Mikah Turner scored 23 points for Berea College in a 99-87 loss to Brescia University;
• In his first game with Pikeville College, Trevor Setty led the No. 9 Bears with 21 points in a 114-62 win over Ohio State-Mansfield. Setty, who transferred from Georgetown College, gained his eligibility Friday when the fall semester ended;
  
• Chris Owens had 11 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals for Transylvania in a 79-72 double-overtime loss to Rose Hulman;
• Darius Miller scored seven points and had three rebounds, four assists and one block in Kentucky's 90-73 win over Indiana;
• Kasey Litzinger scored four points and grabbed one rebound for Lindsey Wilson in a 73-72 loss to Midway;
• Wesley Jones had three points, four rebounds and one assist for Central State University in an 80-62 loss to the University of Illinois at Springfield. It was the Marauders' first loss of the season.

(Edited to added Trevor Setty's debut with Pikeville College)

Royals use strong defense to beat Dixie Heights 48-34

The Mason County Royals scored 25 points off turnovers and scored the last nine points of the game in a 48-34 win over the Dixie Heights Colonels tonight in the 8th Annual Bluegrass-Buckeye Charity Holiday Classic at Northern Kentucky University. Treg Setty scored a game-high 17 points. Bradley Lang added 10 points. The Royals play at Highlands Friday night.

MC (3-0) Gilbert 7, J. Lang 5, Black 2, Setty 17, B. Lang 10, King 4, Fearis 2, Hamm 1
DH (1-4) Trammel 5, Raleigh 2, Smith 11, Pike 8, 2, Hatton 2, Stahl 4, Boone 2

MC FG 40.5% 3 PT FG 23.1% FT 73.3% REB 27 TO 17
DH FG 35% 3 PT FG 25% FT 66.7% REB 28 TO 23

MC 12 09 14 13-48
DH 10 07 11 06-34

Notes:

• Justin Lang received the Scholar Athlete Award for Mason County;
• Jordan Gilbert was named Most Valuable Player for Mason County;
• The Royals have held two of their first three opponents under 40 points;
• Mason County is 5-0 at The Bank of Kentucky Center;
• For the second consecutive year at the Bluegrass-Buckeye Charity Holiday Classic, basketball great Oscar Robertson walked into The Bank of Kentucky Center with the Royals.

(Edited to correct Mason County's record)

Klee's double-double leads Lady Saints past Ripley 54-49

Anne Klee recorded a double-double with 19 points and 16 rebounds to lead the St. Patrick Lady Saints to a 54-49 win over the Ripley Lady Jays Saturday night. The Lady Saints are back in action Friday night at Augusta.

SP (3-0) Klee 19, Douglas 6, Mosler 4, Ch. Payne 9, Ci. Payne 8, Tolle 4, Hamilton 4
R Griskam 11, Carpenter 6, Kirschner 10, Mitchell 12, Royal 1, Boone 5, Plymesser 2, Malone 2

Saints lead by 20, but lose to Augusta 79-74

The St. Patrick Saints had a 20 point lead in the second half but lost 79-74 to the Augusta Panthers in Augusta last night. Augusta junior Colton Fraysure scored 21 of his game-high 31 points in the fourth quarter. Ryan Gallenstein was St. Patrick's leading scorer with 16 points. Stephen Mason and Lee Gallenstein scored 15 points apeice and Daniel Yeary added 13 points. The Saints host Silver Grove Friday night.

SP (1-4) Yeary 13, Thomas 2, R. Gallenstein 16, Mason 15, L. Gallenstein 15, Burton 3, Jodrey 6,
Newman 4
A (1-4) Kiskaden 4, Fraysure 31, Thorpe 14, Moore 12, J. Kelsch 12, Appelman 4, Hamilton 2,
Gibbs 5, Linville 2, T. Kelsch 3

Keller Menke's 28 points lead Lady Royals to a 66-43 win over Fleming County

Keller Menke scored 28 points to lead the Mason County Lady Royals to a 66-43 win over the Fleming County Lady Panthers today at The Fieldhouse. The Lady Royals jumped out a 16-5 lead in the first quarter and had a 23-2 run in the first half. Menke was 10-of-15 from the field including 1-of-1 behind the arc. She was 7-of-8 from the free throw line and grabbed nine rebounds. Beth Queen added 10 points. Fleming County star Kaylyn Emmons was held scorless. Mason County plays at Holy Cross Monday night.

MC (4-0) Moran 2, Smith 4, K. Menke 28, Queen 10, Moore 6, Butler 5, Likins 6, Gibbs 2,
Weddle 1, Morton 2

FC (3-2) Allex 14, S.Boyd 7, Johnson 6, M.Boyd 5, Puente 4, Jackson 2, Jett 2, Taylor 2, McKee 1

MC 16 20 17 13- 66
FC 05 11 16 11- 43

Royals win home opener over Scott 58-49

The Mason County Royals had a 15-0 run early in the game and closed the game on a 12-3 run to win their home opener over Scott 58-49 tonight. The Eagles scored off the opening tip. Then Mason County reeled off 15 unanswered points. Scott then went on a 27-13 run to regain the lead at 29-28. There were five ties and seven lead changes in the game. The last tie was at 46-46. The Royals then ended the game with a 12-3 run. Tyler Black scored a career-high 15 points. Treg Setty followed with 13 points. Jordan Gilbert and Bradley Lang each scored 11 points. That's a career-high for Lang. Mason County is back in action Sunday at 5:45 p.m. against Dixie Heights in the 8th Annual Bluegrass-Buckeye Classic at The Bank of Kentucky Center at Northern Kentucky University.

MC (2-0) Gilbert 11, J. Lang 5, Black 15, Setty 13, B. Lang 11, King 3
S (2-1) Smith 5, Jones 13, Niederegger 16, Haynes 7, O'Conner 6, Farris 2

MC 20 08 09 19-58
S 10 15 13 11-49

(Photo of Keylo Jones of Scott and Treg Setty of Mason County going for a rebound by Whitney Allen)

Jackson Tolle receives letterman jacket at Georgetown College

Georgetown College sophomore Jackson Tolle received his letterman jacket Wednesday night. Tolle, a defensive end on the football team, earned his varsity letter as a freshman, but players have to wait a year to receive their letterman jacket.

Lady Saints beat Lady Bears 59-51

Chelsea Douglas had a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds, and Charisma Payne added 13 points to lead the St. Patrick Lady Saints to a 59-51 win over district rival Bracken County last night. Hannah Haight had a game-high 29 points for Bracken County. The Lady Saints host the Ripley Lady Jays Saturday night.

SP (2-0) Klee 6, Douglas 23, Ch. Payne 13, Ci. Payne 8, Hamilton 4, Mosler 5
BC (2-2) Haight 29, Burdon 12, Crawford 2, Sticklen 7, Riggs 1

Mason Co. freshman girls suffer first loss

The Mason County freshman girls basketball team lost to the Campbell County Lady Camels 39-27 last night at Campbell County. It was the Lady Royals' first loss of the season. Mason County's next game is Dec. 16 at Clark County.

MC Henry 7, Morton 6, Berry 1, Bierley 2, Poe 5, Love 6
CC Kramer 4, Painter 5, Siegmundt 12, Ray 6, Oldiges 4, Kitchen 4

Royals play in Bluegrass-Buckeye Charity Classic Sunday

Here is the press release:

High school basketball teams will be raising money for several good causes when they play in the eighth annual Bluegrass-Buckeye Charity HolidayClassic on Dec. 12-13 at Northern Kentucky University’s Bank of Kentucky Center.
Tickets are now on sale for the seven-game, two-day event with proceeds going to the Ruth Lyons Christmas Fund, Neediest Kids of All and Holiday Wishes. Last year, more than $18,000 was donated to charity.
Three games on this year’s schedule will be between boys’ basketball teams from Ohio and Northern Kentucky. The matchups include: Highlands vs. Oak Hills, St. Henry vs. New Miami and Simon Kenton vs. Colerain.
In the other four games, Northern Kentucky teams will play in-state rivals. Those matchups include: Ryle vs. Pendleton County, Covington Catholic vs. Franklin County, Dixie Heights vs. Mason County and Scott vs. Lexington Catholic.
A celebrity game involving sports and media personalities is also on the schedule.
Advance tickets are being sold at the participating high schools, Ticketmaster and the Bank of Kentucky box office. Prices are $10 for adults and $5 for students in grades 1-12. Weekend passes are $15 for adults and $10 for students.
Tickets at the door will be $12 for adults and $6 for students. Children age 6 and younger will be admitted free. Here is the complete schedule of games:

Saturday, December 12
Ryle vs. Pendleton County, 7 p.m.
Highlands vs. Oak Hills, 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, December 13
St. Henry vs. New Miami, 1 p.m.
Covington Catholic vs. Franklin County, 2:30 p.m.
Simon Kenton vs. Colerain, 4:15 p.m.
Dixie Heights vs. Mason County, 5:45 p.m.
Celebrity game, 7:15 p.m.
Scott vs. Lexington Catholic, 8 p.m.

Bluegrasspreps.com boys basketball rankings

Bluegrasspreps.com boys basketball rankings:

1. Holmes
2. Scott County
3. Clark County
4. Eastern
5. Shelby Valley
6. Ballard
7. Tates Creek
8. Christian County
9. Jeffersontown
10. Warren Central
11. Lexington Catholic
12. Shelby County
13. Trinity
14. Fairdale
15. Seneca
16. Mason County
17. North Hardin
18. Boone County
19. West Jessamine
20. Highlands

Saints get first win- over Deming 72 63

Stephen Mason scored 27 points to lead the St. Patrick Saints to their first win of the season- a 72-63 road victory over the Deming Black Devils. Lee Gallenstein scored 18 points and Ryan Gallenstein added 13 points. St. Patrick plays at Augusta Saturday night.

SP (1-3) Mason 27, L. Gallenstein 18, R. Gallenstein 13, Jodrey 8, Newman 2, Yeary 2, Thomas 2
D (2-1) L. King 22, K. King 12, Pilosky 12, Caldwell 8, Schlach 5, Stitt 2, Collins 2

Wesley Jones scores 15 points as CSU beats Tiffin 76-69

Here is the press release from Central State University:

After trailing most of the first half and down three at half time the Marauders received a spark from guard Wesley Jones who came off the bench and scored 15 points, thirteen of them in the second half to over come the three point shooting of Tiffin University for a 76-69 victory. Jones hit a jumper at the 12:25 mark of the second half to give the Marauders their first lead of the half 50-49. Tiffin’s Keenan Barlow, who hit 6 three point baskets on the night, hit one to move the Dragons back into the lead. Jones hit a lay-up at 11:05 to tie the score.
Gino Smith hit two of his 16 points at 9:30 and then Wesley Jones hit a three for the Marauders to give them a 60-56 lead.

Tiffin battled back and moved ahead with a 68-64 lead with 4:30 remaining in the game. Cole Prophet, of the Marauders who lead his team in scoring hit a three to move the Marauders to within one. On the other end of the court the Marauder defense stiffened and forced a turnover and Gino Smith was fouled and tied the score at 69 all hitting on one of two free throws. A minute later at 1:46 Smith hit two more from the charity stripe to give CSU the lead for good at 71-69. After missing a shot and getting the ball out of bounds Tiffin turned the ball over when Wesley Jones stole the inbounds pass and Cole Prophet hit a jumper for the Marauders. With less than a minute to play the Dragons had committed only 5 team fouls and then had to foul the Marauders twice before putting them on the line. The Marauders hit three of five free throws while the Dragons turned the ball over once and then missed a long three point attempt in the last minute to seal the CSU victory. Anthony Passley added 11 points for CSU and the Marauders turned the ball over only 13 times to the Dragons 23. The Marauders won the battle of the boards 42 to thirty five but struggled at the free throw line for the third game in a row hitting on 11 of 16 attempts.

The Dragons three point shooting disappeared in the second half when they hit only 5 of 15 as compared to 6 of 9 in the first half.

CSU is on the road until their Christmas break traveling to Springfield, IL for a rematch with the Prairie Stars of the University of Illinois—Springfield, the first of five road games, who the Marauders defeated on November 30 at home 100-82.

Mason Co. girls freshmen edge Montgomery Co. 49-47

Miriah Henry recorded a triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Mason County girls freshman team to a 49-47 win over Montgomery County Monday night.
The Lady Royals play at Campbell County Wednesday night.

MC (2-0) Morton 6, Henry 26, Bierley6, Simms 4, Arthur 2, Highfield 3, Courtney 2

Mason County wins season opener over Holy Cross 49-38

The Mason County Royals opened the season with a 49-38 win over the Holy Cross Indians in Covington tonight. The Royals led 39-28 after three quarters. Holy Cross got to within six points at 44-38 before Mason County ended the game on a 5-0 run. The final margin could have been larger, but the Royals made just 4-of14 free throws in the fourth quarter. Treg Setty led all scorers with 16 points. Tyler Black grabbed 10 rebounds. The Royals play their home opener Friday night against the Scott Eagles.

MC (1-0) Gilbert 7, J. Lang 7, Black 5, Setty 16, B. Lang 6, King 4, Fearis 4
HC (1-2) Allen 7, Lea 8, Egan 12, Stropko 4, Burger 7

MC FG 50% 3 PT FG 36.4% FT 42.9% REB 31 TO 12
HC FG 27.5% 3 PT FG 23.5% FT 60% REB 27 TO 11

MC 21 05 13 10-49
HC 12 06 10 10-38

Lady Saints beat Bourbon Co. 62-45 in season opener

Chelsea Douglas scored 16 points and the Payne twins both had a double-double to lead the St. Patrick Lady Saints to a 62-45 season-opening win over the Bourbon County Lady Colonels in Paris Friday night. Charisma Payne had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Ciera Payne scored 13 points and dished out 10 assists. The Lady Saints had 33 steals. St. Patrick plays its home opener Thursday night against district rival Bracken County.

Shotwell wins at Reading for the third time

Campbell County senior Korey Shotwell won the 145 pound weight class at the Reading High School Wrestling Tournament Saturday. He was also named Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament. It is the third time Shotwell has had a first place finish at Reading. Shotwell is the son of Matthew and Tami Shotwell of Maysville.

Saints lose to Pendleton Co. 90-75

The St. Patrick Saints lost to the Pendleton County Wildcats 90-75 Saturday in the Fourth Annual Coach Jim Connor Tournament at Thomas More College. The Saints led 9-2 early in the game. Pendleton County led by as many as 20 in the third quarter. St. Patrick cut the deficit to seven, but could get no closer. Stephen Mason led St. Patrick in scoring with 24 points. Ryan Gallenstein scored 17 points and Daniel Yeary added 10 points. St. Patrick plays Deming in Mt. Olivet Wednesday night.

SP (0-3) Mason 24, R.Gallenstein 17, Yeary 10, L.Gallenstein 6, Jodrey 5, Slack 5, Thomas 4, Newman 2, Burton 2
PC (2-1) Cooper 24, Greene 23, Farrell 13, Monroe 9, Valentine 8, Walsh 4, Crozier 3, Jones 2, Rering 1

(Edited to correct score.)

Lady Royals rally to beat Scott 70-67

The Mason County Lady Royals rallied to beat the Scott Lady Eagles 70-67 in their home opener tonight. Scott jumped out to an 8-0 lead and was up 42-32 in the third quarter. The Lady Royals cut the deficit to two at the end of the third quarter and outscored the Lady Eagles 22-17 in the fourth quarter. Keller Menke led Mason County in scoring with 22 points. Katelyn Smith (photo) followed with 16 points and Beth Queen added 14 points. Queen's three-pointer gave Mason County its first lead at 62-61. Scott junior center Lauren Tibbs scored 34 points. Taylor Stinson added 12 points. Mason County will host Fleming County at The Fieldhouse Dec. 12.

MC (3-0) Moran 4, Likins 4, B. Menke 3, K. Menke 22, Smith 16, Butler 7, Queen 14
S (1-1) Bamforth 6, Stinson 12, Jackson 4, Kraft 8, Tibbs 34, Kuhse 3

MC FG 49.% 3 PT FG 22.2.% FT 64.3% REB 24 TO 10
C FG 53.7% 3 PT 33.3% FT 80% REB 33 TO 16

MC 17 16 12 17-67
S 22 16 12 17-70

(Photo credit: Whitney Allen)

Saints lose to Bracken County 80-65

The St. Patrick Saints lost their home opener to Bracken County 80-65 tonight. St. Patrick sophomore Ryan Gallenstein scored a game-high 27 points. Stephen Mason scored 12 points before fouling out. St. Patrick (0-2) plays the Pendleton County Wildcats at Thomas More College Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

SP 11 16 14 24-65
BC 16 19 20 25-80

Goldsmiths are state champions

Boone Goldsmith and his dad, former Maysville High School and Morehead State University star football player Billy Goldsmith, are state champions. Boone led the Boyle County Rebels to a 42-39 double overtime win over Lone Oak in the Class 4A football state championship game today in Bowling Green. Billy Goldsmith, a former head coach at Lawrence County, is an assistant coach for the Rebels. Boone Goldsmith, a 6-4, 190-pound senior, scored the winning touchdown on a one-yard run on 4th-and-goal after Lone Oak had taken a 39-36 lead with a 26-yard field goal. Boone had scored a touchdown in the first overtime on a one-yard run. He completed 12-of-19 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns. Lone Oak led 29-13 after three quarters. Boyle County completes a 15-0 season under Head Coach Larry French. Mason County Coach David Buchanan played for French at Mercer County.

St. Patrick freshman girls team off to 2-0 start

The St. Patrick freshman girls basketball team is off to a 2-0 start. The Lady Saints used an
18-5 run to edge Bracken County 32-31 Tuesday night. They followed that up with a 36-31 win over Bishop Brossart 36-31 Thursday night.

Lady Royals beat Calvary Christian 74-28

The Mason County Lady Royals beat the Calvary Christian Lady Cougars 74-28 tonight in Taylor Mill. Keller Menke led the way with 14 points, eight rebounds and eight steals. Bailey Menke and Katelyn Smith scored 10 points apiece. The Lady Royals host Scott Saturday night.

MC (2-0) K.Menke 14, B.Menke 10, Smith 10, Queen 9, Likins 8, Gibbs 5, Butler 4, Berry 4, Weddle 3, Moran 3, Moore 2, Biereley 2

CC (0-1) Brown 13, Niehaus 4, Wright 4, Ross 2, Norton 2, Merkley 2, A.Roaden 1

MC FG 45.3% 3 PT FG 38.9% FT 56.3% REB 46 TO 19

CC FG 25.0% 3 PT FG 18.2% FT 13.3% REB 37 TO 31

MC 20 21 25 08-74
CC 06 09 04 09-28

Wesley Jones scores 25 points for CSU

Wesley Jones scored a game-high 25 points to lead Central State University to a 100-82 win over the University of Illinois-Springfield Monday night. Jones, a 6-1 junior, hit 9-of-11 shots from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line. He also had four assists and two rebounds. Jones is averaging 14.2 points per game. CSU is 6-0. The Marauders host Marygrove College Friday night and Talladega College Saturday night in the Ben Waterman Classic.

Mason County's preseason football scrimmage will be vs. Ashland next year

The Mason County Royals football team will host the Ashland Tomcats in their only preseason scrimmage next year. The scrimmage is scheduled August 13 at 7 p.m.

Stephen Mason scores 1,000th career point

St. Patrick senior Stephen Mason scored his 1,000th career point in the Saints' 82-74 season-opening loss to the Nicholas County Bluejackets Monday night in Carlisle. The Saints play their home opener Friday night against the Bracken County Polar Bears.

(Photo credit: Michele Mosler)