Owens Scores Career High 35

St. Patrick junior Chris Owens scored a career high 35 points to the lead the St. Patrick Saints to a 72-55 win over the Augusta Panthers tonight at St. Patrick.
Owens was 11 of 14 from the field including three of four on three-point shots.
He made 10 of 16 free throws and grabbed 11 rebounds. The win snapped the Saints' three game losing. St. Patrick is 4-0 at home.

Mason County 77, Fleming County 52

The Mason County Royals used a big third quarter to pull away from the Fleming County Panthers for a 77-52 win tonight at Fleming County. Mason County led by as many as 18 in the second quarter but Fleming County cut the lead to 11 by the end of the half. The Royals outscored the Panthers 24-6 in the third quarter and led by as many as 31 in the fourth quarter. Russ Middleton hit six three-pointers and scored a game high 22 points. Darius Miller scored 13 points, Tyreese Scott 12 and Tony Browning 11. Cory Moore led Fleming County with 20 points and Bailey Ellison added 16.

MC FG 42.9% 3 PT FG 38.5% FT 79.2% REB 31 TO 10
FC FG 38.1% 3 PT FG 22.2% FT 66.7% REB 34 TO 17

(Mason County 18-2) Scott 12, Hamm 2, Miller 13, Pawsat 3, Setty 9, Browning 11,
Middleton 22, Tolle 2, Lykins 3
(Fleming County 5-14) Roberts 5, Dugan 3, Compton 1, Moore 20, Ellison 16, Newsome 5,
Rogers 2

MC 19 17 24 17-77
FC 14 11 06 21-52

Lady Royals Top Lady Saints 77-29 for 600th Win

The Mason County Lady Royals jumped out to a 28-6 lead after one quarter and went on to beat the St. Patrick Lady Saints 77-29 tonight. It was the 600th win in the history the Lady Royals' program. De'Sarae Chambers led all scorers with 17 points. Cheryl Rutherford led St. Patrick with 16 points. Early in the game, Kasey Litzinger moved into 10th place on the Lady Royals' all-time scoring list. A little bit later, Lacey Cline moved into second place on the scoring list. Keller Menke hit a half-court shot on the buzzer at the end of the third quarter.

MC FG 43.2% 3 PT FG 27.8 FT 72% REB 57 TO 16
SP FG 24.5% 3 PT FG 6% FT 33% REB 27 TO 22

(Mason County 14-9)Cline 13, Litzinger 10, D. Chambers 17, T. Chambers 14, Menke 11,
Reese 8, Hale 2, Harris 2
(St. Patrick 4-13) Rutherford 16, Stahl 4, Brant 5, Parker 2, Nolder 2

MC 28 16 21 12-77
SP 06 13 22 29-29

Hoops Schedule

Here is this week's local high school basketball schedule:

Monday
(Boys Freshmen) Harrison County at Mason County 6 p.m.
(Boys Freshmen) Pendleton County at St. Patrick 6:30 p.m.
(Girls) St. Patrick at Mason County 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday
(Girls Freshmen)Pendleton County at Mason County 6 p.m.
(Boys) Mason County at Fleming County 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday
(Boys) Augusta at St. Patrick 7:30 p.m.

Thursday
(Girls Freshmen) Rowan County at Mason County 6 p.m.
(Boys Freshmen) Mason County at Clark County 6:30 p.m.

Friday
(Boys) Mason County at Rowan County 6:30 p.m.
(Girls) Mason County at Rowan County 8 p.m.
(Girls) St. Patrick at Bracken County 7:30 p.m.

Saturday
(Girls Freshmen) Mason County vs. Bourbon County in the 10th Region Tournament at
Pendleton County 10:15 a.m.
(Boys) Madison Central at Mason County 8 p.m.
(Girls) Bourbon County at St. Patrick 8 p.m.

Levay Sets Indoor School Record in the High Jump

Mason County junior Elizabeth Levay set an indoor school record in the high jump at four feet, eight inchs Saturday in the Royal Rumble. Levay won the event.
Two other Mason County athletes- Brent Sparks and Jim Meyers- won medals. Sparks was third in the 55 meter dash and Meyers was sixth in the 1500 meters.

Back From Rupp

I got back from the Kentucky-Tennessee game at Rupp Arena late this afternoon. The Wildcats used a 20-2 run to beat the Volunteers 76-57. Chris Lofton missed his second straight game after suffering a sprained ankle Jan. 20. I talked briefly with Chris before the game, but I didn't get to see him after the game. He sat on the bench in street clothes. Lofton's parents sat in the front row behind the UT bench. Kentucky coach Tubby Smith acknowledged that the Wildcats were fortunate to play the Volunteers without Lofton. Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl pointed out that the Vols lead the Southeastern Conference in scoring (87 points per game) with Lofton, and they only scored 57 without him today. Tennessee only made nine field goal attempts in the second half. The Kentucky football team, the champion of the Music City Bowl, was introduced at halftime. Today was the first time I had attended a UK game on a media pass since Deron Feldhaus' Senior Day game in 1992. That also was Cawood Ledford's last broadcast at Rupp Arena. I don't plan on waiting another 15 years to go back.

Bart Rison Wears a UT Shirt at The Fieldhouse

Montgomery County Indians coach Bart Rison wore an orange Tennessee shirt at the game against Mason County Friday night at The Fieldhouse to show his support for Chris Lofton. He talked it about on the pre-game interview.
"Well, I guess it would be an understatement to say that to me, Chris Lofton epitomizes what a college athlete is on the floor, off the floor, in the classroom," Rison said. "I've always been a big fan of his. Out here in [2002],(Rison chuckles) he kept a pretty good team we had when he was a sophomore from making it to the state tournament."
Rison said he likes the way Lofton handles himself. "He's made me a big fan of Tennessee basketball," Rison said, "and naturally, you know, I hope his ankle gets alright; I hope he gets to play Sunday [against Kentucky]."

Mason County Sweeps Montgomery County

Mason County swept a doubleheader against Montgomery County tonight at The Fieldhouse. The Lady Royals scored 49 points in the second half to beat the Lady Indians 77-67. The Royals jumped out to a 20 point first quarter lead and defeated the Indians 73-51. After trailing 36-28 at halftime, the Lady Royals made 17 of 23 their shots (73.9%) in the second half. De'Sarae Chambers led all scorers with 26 points. Kasey Litzinger had 22. Lacey Cline tossed in 15 and Torrey Chambers added 12. Cline had nine assists.
In the boys games, Mason County led by 20 in the first quarter and by 22 in the second quarter. Montgomery County cut the lead to 13 at 51-38 early in the fourth quarter with the Royals' starters on the bench. The starters returned and went on a 16-2 run for the biggest lead of the game, 27, at 67-40. Trevor Setty led the Royals in scoring 15 points. Tyreese Scott scored 14. Darius Miller and Russ Middleton added 12 points a piece. Miller also had seven rebounds and six assists.

Girls game statistics:

Mason County FG 59.6% 3 PT FG 36.4% FT 73.9% REB 37 TO 13
Montgomery County FG 39.1% 3 PT 25% FT 53.8% RED 29 TO 5

Mason County (13-9) D. Chambers 26, Cline 15, Litzinger 22, T. Chambers 12, Hale 2
Montgomery County (16-5) High 11, Danis 20, Barnard 8, Prewitt 16, Lee 5, Colliver 4
Thompson 3

Boys game statistics:

Mason County FG 45.5% 3 PT FG 26.3% FT 78.3% REB 35 TO 10
Montgomery County FG 34.7% 3 PT FG 23.1% FT 60.9% REB 35 TO 16

Mason County (17-2) Scott 14, Hamm 3, Miller 12, King 3, Pawsat 6, Setty 15, Browning 3, Thompson 2, Middleton 12, Stahl 1, Tolle 2
Montgomery County (16-4) Clark 9, Stull 3, Utterback 14, Nester 3, Witt 4, B. Rash 5, M. Rash 2, Stephens 11

New 10th Region Tournament Format Approved

Principals of the schools in the 10th Region unanimously approved a new format for the Girls and Boys 10th Region Tournaments. Here's the schedule:

Monday, March 5, Girls first round games at Montgomery County
Tuesday, March 6, Girls first round games at Montgomery County
Wednesday, March 7, Boys first round games at Mason County
Thursday, March 8, Boys first round games at Mason County
Friday, March 9, Girls semi-final rounds at Montgomery County
Saturday, March 10, Boys semi-final rounds at Mason County, 12:00 and 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 10, Girls finals at Montgomery County 8:00 p.m.
Sunday March 11, Boys finals at Mason County 3:00 p.m.

The only problem I see with the new format is going up against the Southeastern Conference Tournament. The SEC semi-finals are scheduled at 1 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, March 10. The championship game of the SEC tournament tips-off at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 11. Fans in Maysville, much less folks from throughout the region, won't be able watch the end of the SEC game and make it to The Fieldhouse for the start of championship game of the Boys regional tournament. How would a Kentucky vs. Tennessee game on TV affect attendance at the regional tournament?

Mason County Opens Indoor Track Season Saturday

The Mason County Track and Field team will open the 2007 indoor season Saturday with a home meet at the Jockey facility on Clarke's Run Road. Approximately 300 athletes from 11 teams are scheduled to compete in the individual medal only meet. The meet is open to the general public and begins at 11 a.m. It's the first of three meets to be held at Mason County this winter. The Mason County Invitational is scheduled Feb. 10 and the Mason County Middle School Invitational will be held Feb. 17.

Mason County vs. Montgomery County DH

Mason County hosts Montgomery County tonight in a boy-girl doubleheader at The Fieldhouse. The boys' game is first at 6:30 p.m. Mason County is 16-2. Montgomery County is 16-3. Here are the probable starting lineups:

Mason County
G Tyreese Scott 5-8 155 Sr
G Russ Middleton 6-3 170 So.
C Brad Pawsat 6-4 190 Sr.
F Darius Miller 6-6 210 Jr.
F Trevor Setty 6-5 160 Jr.

Montgomery County
G Blaine Stull 5-10 Jr.
G Jarrod Nester 5-10 Sr.
C Jordan Stephens 6-7 Jr.
F Brad Utterback 6-3 Sr
F Michael Witt 5-11 Sr.

The girls' game at 8 p.m. features the top two teams in the 10th Region. Montgomery County is the two-time defending champion of the 10th Region. The Lady Indians (16-4) had their 13 game winning streak snapped Wednesday night with a 49-43 road loss to Breathitt County. The Lady Royals(12-9) snapped a three game losing streak Monday night with a 63-48 win at Bishop Brossart. Here are the probable starting lineups:

Mason County
G Lacey Cline 5-7 Jr.
G De'Sarae Chambers 5-9 Jr.
C Torrey Chambers 5-7 Sr.
F Kasey Litzinger 5-8 Jr.
F Keller Menke 5-8 Fr.

Montgomery County
G Maggie Prewitt 5-8 Jr.
G Mackenzie Lee 5-6 So.
C Courtney Danis 5-9 Sr.
F Jenna High 5-6 Sr.
F Natasha Thomas 5-7 Sr.

Mason County vs. Clark County Date Change

The Mason County at Clark County boys basketball game originally scheduled on Friday,
Feb. 9 has been rescheduled for Saturday, February 10. The junior varsity game will begin at 1:30 p.m. followed by the varsity game at 3 p.m. That's right, Saturday afternoon high school hoops.

Bracken County 52, St. Patrick 49

The Bracken County Polar Bears defeated the St. Patrick Saints 52-49 tonight in the Boys All "A" 10th Region Tournament. Tyler Hamilton scored 17 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for the Polar Bears. St. Patrick junior Chris Owens led all scorers with 21 points.

Saints vs. Polar Bears in All "A" 10th Region

The St. Patrick Saints play the Bracken County Polar Bears tonight at 7:30 in the
Boys All "A" 10th Region Tournament at Bracken County. Bracken County defeated St. Patrick 85-70 Dec. 15 at Bracken County. Here's the list of former champions of the
Boys All "A" 10th Region Tournament:
1990 Maysville
1991 Maysville
1992 Bracken County
1993 Paris
1994 Nicholas County
1995 St. Patrick
1996 Paris
1997 Paris
1998 Bracken County
1999 St. Patrick
2000 St. Patrick
2001 Bishop Brossart
2002 Paris
2003 Bishop Brossart
2004 Bishop Brossart
2005 Bishop Brossart
2006 Bishop Brossart

St. Patrick Competes in Region Freshmen Swim Meet

The Region 4 Freshmen Swim Meet was held last week at Scott High School. St. Patrick was the only local school to compete. 8th grader Russell Rigg finished fourth in both the 200 yard freestyle and the 100 yard backstroke. Anthony Chamblin, a freshman, was ninth in the 50 yard freestyle and sixth in the 100 yard breaststroke.
St. Patrick was also represented by four sixth grade girls. Haley Rigg led the way with a ninth place finish in the 100 yard backstroke and an 11th place finish in the
200 yard individual medley. Amrita Srinivasan was 10th in the 200 yard individual medley and 17th in the 100 yard breaststroke. Billie Joe Ross was 15th in the 100 yard backstroke and 16th in 50 yard freestyle. Wallis Stanfield finished 22nd in both the 50 yard freestyle and 100 yard breaststroke. The four girls also swam in two relays, finishing seventh in the 200 yard freestyle relay and eighth in the 200 yard medley relay. St. Patrick will return to Scott High School Feb. 1 for the Region 4 Varsity Swim Meet.

Lofton's X-rays Negative

X-rays on Chris Lofton's injured ankle were negative. That word today from Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl on the Southeastern Conference basketball coaches teleconference. Pearl says Lofton is most likely going to be out for the Volunteer's game Wednesday night at Ole Miss. Pearl says now that a break has been ruled out it's just a matter of whether it's going to be a one, two or potentially three week ankle sprain. Pearl says Lofton has made progress in the last 48 hours as far as getting the swelling out of the ankle. Lofton suffered the injury in Saturday night's game against South Carolina. Tennessee plays at Kentucky Sunday afternoon.

Boys All "A" 10th Region Tournament

The Boys All "A" 10th Region Tournament will be played this week. First round games will be played at various sites. The semi-finals and finals will be held at
Bracken County. Here's a link to the bracket.

Newspaper Story on Lofton's Injury

Here's a link to the Nashville newspaper story on Chris Lofton's ankle injury
Tennessean.

Fryman in the McCravy Memorial

Kentucky senior Andy Fryman finished fifth in the shot put, seventh in the discus and 14th in the weight throw at the Rod McCravy Memorial Track and Field meet at the University of Kentucky. Here are Fryman's marks:
shot put 59-04
discus 176-08
weight 56-03.75
Kentucky's next meet is the New Balance Collegiate Invitational in New York City
Feb. 2-3.

This Week's Hoops Schedule

Here's this week's schedule of games for the local high school basketball teams:

Monday
(Boys Freshmen) Pendleton County at Mason County 6 p.m.
(Girls) Mason County at Bishop Brossart 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday
(Boys) St. Patrick at Bracken County in the All "A" 10th Region Tournament 7:30 p.m.

Thursday
(Girls Freshmen) Mason County at Campbell County 6:30 p.m.
(Boys Freshmen) Mason County at Bishop Brossart 7 p.m.

Friday
(Boys) Montgomery County at Mason County 6:30 p.m.
(Girls) Montgomery County at Mason County 8 p.m.

Mason County 69, Jeffersontown 64 OT

The Mason County Royals rallied from an eight point third quarter deficit and beat defending state champion Jeffersontown 69-64 tonight in the Kentucky Preps Classic at Montgomery County. J-town led 38-30 with 1:49 left in the third quarter. Tony Browning then hit back-to-back three-pointers. Royals coach Chris O'Hearn said that was the turning point. Mason County led 51-47 late in the fourth quarter but
J-Town's Nick Gagel scored hit a three-pointer and lay-up to put the Chargers up 52-51. Russ Middleton hit one of two free throws with five seconds left to tie the game.
J-Town tried to get the ball to its 6-9 center Thomas Coleman but the pass hit the backboard, Middleton grabbed the loose and missed a heave at the buzzer. Middleton hit seven of eight free throws in the overtime period. Darius Miller scored 19 points, had five rebounds, nine assists and blocked three shots. He was named the Outstanding Player of the Game. Middleton scored 16 points, Browning 15 and Trevor Setty 13. The Royals are back in action Friday night at home against Montgomery County.

MC FG 38.8%, 3 PT FG 21.4%, FT 61.1%, REB 40, TO 15
J FG 37.7%, 3 PT FG 60%, FT 60%, REB 42, TO 22

(Mason County 16-2) Scott 2, Middleton 16, Miller 19, Setty 13, Pawsat 4, Browning 15

(Jeffersontown) (13-5) McIntosh 3, Jackson 4, Williams 5, Gagel 19, Coleman 11,
Basey 20, McMillian 2

MC 12 9 17 14 17-69
J 13 8 19 12 12-64

Lofton Sprains Ankle

Chris Lofton suffered a sprained ankle in Tennessee's game against South Carolina today. He scored four points in 12 minutes of playing time. The Volunteers won 64-61 to snap a three game losing streak. In postgame quote on utsports.com Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said: "We really need 24 hours to have a decent examination to determine what happened to Chris Lofton. He has an ankle sprain, and his ankle is swollen ...tomorrow I will start preparing our team for the Ole Miss game, and we will figure what we will do either with or without Lofton." Tennessee plays at Ole Miss Wednesday night and at Kentucky at week from tomorrow.

Mason County Splits DH vs. Lexington Catholic

The Mason County Royals outlasted the Lexington Catholic Knights 73-68 in double overtime in the U.S. Bank Classic tonight at The Fieldhouse. Lexington Catholic beat Mason County 85-60 in the girls' game.
The Royals led by 14 midway through the third quarter, but trailed 55-50 with 4:55 left in regulation. Trevor Setty scored five straight points to tie the game, and the Royals had a chance to win in regulation but missed a three-pointer. The Knights played for the last shot in overtime but Nathan Novesel's shot was blocked by Darius Miller. Setty missed a heave at the buzzer. The Royals outscored the Knights 11-6 in the second overtime, making five of six free throws. Miller led Mason County with 24 points, nine rebounds and six blocked shots. Setty scored 17 and Middleton added 16.
Taylor Stewart led Lexington Catholic with 16 points.
The Lady Royals gave the top-ranked Lady Knights a game for a half. There were five ties and seven lead changes. Lexington Catholic led by six halftime and outscored Mason County 17-10 in the third quarter and 27-15 in the fourth quarter. Lacey Cline and De'Sarae Chambers each scored 17 points to lead Mason County. Torrey Chambers added 11 points. Briana Green scored a game-high 24 for the Lady Knights.

Boys game statistics:

MC FG 39.3%, 3 PT FG 32.1%, FT 90.9%, REB 41, TO 12
LC FG 40.9%, 3 PT FG 39.1%, FT 83.3%, REB 35, TO 7

Mason County (15-2) Scott 8, Miller 24, Pawsat 4, Setty 17, Browning 2, Middleton 16,
Tolle 2
Lexington Catholic (14-8) Newton 9, Novesel 10, Stewart 16, Smart 13, Corvin 11, Tribble 6, Hillenmeyer 3

MC 15 16 16 8 7 11-73
LC 10 15 18 12 7 6-68

Girls game statistics:

MC FG 44.4% 3 PT FG 23.1%, FT 75% REB 32 TO 20
LC FG 46.5% 3 PT FG 50%, FT 90.9%, REB 39, TO 9

Mason County (11-8) Cline 17, D. Chambers 17, T. Chambers 11, Litzinger 7, Reese 5,
Menke 2, Hale 1
Lexington Catholic (18-1) Green 24, Snowden 13, wilson 13, Cash 5, Novesel 16,
McGhee 8, Ratliff 2, Corbett 2, Donnelly 2

MC 14 21 10 15-60
LC 16 25 17 27-85

Lady Hawk Shootout

The Mason County Lady Royals will play in the Lady Hawk Shootout at Pike County Central in Pikeville Saturday. Here's the schedule:

1 p.m. Shelby Valley vs. Lawrence County
3 p.m. Mason County vs. Belfry
5 p.m. Magoffin County vs. East Ridge
7 p.m. Pike County Central vs. Grundy, Virginia

U.S. Bank Classic

The U.S. Bank Classic is Friday night at the Fieldhouse as Mason County hosts Lexington Catholic in a girl-boy doubleheader. The girls' game is first at 6:30.
The Lady Knights, the two-time defending state champions, are ranked number one.
The Lady Royals are playing their first "home" game since Dec. 4. The Mason County Royals are ranked second in the state. The Knights are ranked as high as 14th.
Lexington Catholic defeated Mason County 64-59 in the semi-finals of the Fifth Third Bank Classic at Lexington Catholic Dec. 29.

Lofton Scores 22 in UT Loss

Chris Lofton matched his season average with 22 points but the Tennessee Volunteers were upset 83-80 by the Auburn Tigers tonight. Lofton hit six three-pointers. Tennessee has lost three straight games by a total of six points.

Lady Saints Advance in All "A"

The St. Patrick Lady Saints defeated the Deming Lady Devils 58-43 tonight in the first round of the girls All "A" 10th Region Tournament. The Lady Saints will play Paris in the semi-final round Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Nicholas County.

Kentucky Preps Classic

The Mason County Royals will play defending state champion Jeffersontown in the Kentucky Prep Classic Saturday at Montgomery County. The classic will feature one girls' game and four boys' games. Here's the schedule:

Noon Montgomery County vs. Russell girls

2 p.m. Christian County vs. Bryan Station

4 p.m. South Laurel vs. Paintsville

6 p.m. Mason County vs. Jefferstown

8 p.m. Montgomery County vs. Clay County

Mason Co 72, Campbell Co 52

Mason County ended the third quarter on a 20-4 run and went on to beat Campbell County 72-52 tonight at Campbell County. There were three ties and six lead changes in the first half. Russ Middleton led the Royals in scoring with 16 points.
Tyreese Scott and Darius Miller scored 15 apiece and Trevor Setty added 10 points.
Mason County had 19 assists.

MC FG 46.6%, 3 PT FG 45.8%, FT 58.3%, REB 35, TO 14
CC FG 46.5%, 3 PT FG 36.4%, FT 57.1%, REB 24, TO 20

Mason County (14-2) Scott 15, Miller 15, Setty 10, Browning 2, Middleton 16, Stahl 8,
Tolle 2, Downing 1

Campbell County (11-5) Parks 9, Verst 8, Dischar 4, Franzen 3, Griffin 4, Walker 10,
Nerl 5, Kidwell 4, Addie 2, Sutherland 3

MC 12 24 20 16-72
CC 14 12 10 16-52

Lewis County Little League Registration

Registration for the 2007 Lewis County Little League season will be held this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Lewis County Central Elementary. Children ages 5 to 18 who live in the Lewis County Little League boundaries are eligible to enroll to play tee ball, baseball or softball. The boundary for Lewis County Little League encompasses all of Lewis County and that portion of Mason County that lies east of
Kentucky Route 8 and north of the AA highway. At least one parent or legal guardian must be present at registration with three proofs of residence, and an original or state-certified copy of the child's birth certificate. For more information, call league president Jim Draper at 606-798-6145 or league information officer John Holder at 606-799-9607.

Shotwell Takes First Place at Five Star Classic

Campbell County wrestler Korey Shotwell, a freshman from Maysville, won first place at the Five Star Classic Saturday at Lafayette. In the first round, Shotwell pinned his opponent from Bryan Station. Shotwell avenged his only Kentucky loss with a 13-1 major decision over Lafayette in the second round. Shotwell won a major decision 11-1 over Central Hardin in the third round. In the semi-finals, Shotwell won an 8-6 decision over Larue County (ranked 3rd in the state). In the championship match, Shotwell won a 2-0 decision over John Hardin.

Basketball Rankings

Here are links to this week's high school basketball rankings:

Herald-Leader

Courier-Journal

Bluegrass Preps Boys

Bluegrass Preps Girls

This Week's Hoops Schedule

Here's this week's schedule of games for the local high school basketball teams:

Monday
(Girls Freshmen) Mason County at Harrison County 5:15 p.m.
(Girls) Clark County at St. Patrick 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday
(Boys) St. Patrick at Montgomery County 7:30 p.m.
(Boys) Mason County at Campbell County 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday
(Girls) Deming at St. Patrick (All "A" 10th Region) 7:30 p.m.

Thursday
(Boys Freshmen) St. Patrick at Deming 6:30 p.m.
(Girls Freshmen) Mason County at Bourbon County 7 p.m.
(Boys Freshmen) Mason County at Harrison County 7 p.m.

Friday
(Girls) Lexington Catholic at Mason County (U.S. Bank Classic) 6:30 p.m.
(Boys) Lexington Catholic at Mason County (U.S. Bank Classic) 8:00 p.m.

Saturday
(Boys) Mason County vs. Jeffersontown at Montgomery County (KY Prep Classic) 6 p.m.

Girls All "A" 10th Region Tournament

The Girls All "A" 10th Region Tournament will be played this week. Here's a link to the bracket.

Fryman Wins Shot Put at UK Invitational

Kentucky senior Andy Fryman won the shot put at the Kentucky Invitational with a throw of 59-10.25. Kentucky returns to action Jan. 19-20 when it hosts the Rod McCravy Memorial.

C-Lo In Person

I finally got to see Chris Lofton play a college game in person. Two of my daughters and I went to the Tennessee at Ohio State game today. Lofton scored 21 points in the Volunteers' 68-66 loss to the Buckeyes. Here on some thoughts on the trip and the game:

- Value City Arena is a beautiful facility;
- Ohio State runs a shuttle bus to and from the public parking lot which really makes it convenient;
- Several people from Maysville attended the game and Tennessee fans were scattered throughout the crowd;
- Ohio State freshman center Greg Oden is a man-child. UT had no answer for him. It did look like to me that Oden got tired toward the end of the game;
- When Chris came out for early warm-ups he really worked on dribbling drills. It was amazing to watch him do the two ball drills. He continues to work on his game;
- Lofton ended up with a team-high 21 points and fueled the Vols' comeback from a 10 point deficit, but it still seems to me that Tennessee goes long stretches without getting the ball to him;
- We got to talk to Lofton after the game. He was great with everybody even though I know he was very disappointed by the loss.

Scott County Sweeps DH vs. Mason County

Standing room only and a great atmosphere last night at Scott County.
In the boys' game, the top ranked Scott County Cardinals beat the third ranked Mason County Royals 73-68, and in the girls' game, Scott County won 99-73.
In the boys' game, both teams started off slow, but Scott County got it going first, leading 16-5 at the end of the first quarter. Mason County tied the game three times in the third quarter but could not take the lead. Scott County took a nine point lead with 2:21 left in the game. The Royals got to within three twice in the final minute, the last time at 71-66. Then, Matt Walls hit two free throws and Bud Mackey threw down a two-handed dunk to make it 73-66. Tyreeese Scott hit a lay-up right before for the buzzer. Darius Miller led all scorers with 23 points. Mackey scored nine points in the fourth quarter and finished with 15 points. Mason County was 18 of 29 at the free throw line and got outrebounded 42-31.

University of Kentucky Director of Basketball Operations Shawn Finney,Mississippi State Head Coach Rick Stansbury, and an assistant coach from Marshall were at the game.

In the girls' game, Scott County led 51-42 at the half and pulled away in the second half. Lacy Cline led all scorers with 26 points. De'sarae Chambers added 21 for Mason County. North Carolina signee Rebecca Gray led Scott County with 21 points.

Boys Statistics:

MC FG 40.7%, 3 PT 25%, FT 62.1%, REB 31, TO 20
SC FG 46.8%, # PT 7.69%, FT 70%, REB 42, TO 16

Mason County (13-2)Scott 2, Middleton 10, Miller 23, Setty 11, Pawsat 11, Stahl 2,
Browning 6, Downing 3;

Scott County (13-1) Walls 15, Portwood 15, Lee 8, Mackey 15, Hundley 4, Phares 14,
Burchfield 2;

MC 5 22 18 23-68
SC 16 16 16 25-73

Girls Statistics

MC FG 37.7%, 3 PT 18.2%, FT 71.4%, REB 37, TO 12
SC FG 50%, 3 PT 31.6%, FT 69.2%, REB 50, TO 15

Mason County (11-7) Cline 26, D.Chambers 21, Litzinger 6, T.Chambers 12, Menke 2, Reese 2, Hale 4;

Scott County (12-2) Garr 8, Gray 21, Milburn 10, Moses 11, Webb 19, Payne 11,
Hatton 2, Wilson 3, Howard 7, Stainback 9:

MC 12 30 16 15-73
SC 22 29 18 30-99

Owens Continues to Fill It Up

Chris Owens scored 30 points last night to lead the St. Patrick Saints to a 66-63 road win over the Augusta Panthers. Owens has scored 30 or more points in three games this season. He's scored 23 or more points in all but two games this season.
Owens is averaging 24.1 points per game and is 18th on the Saints' all-time scoring list with 1,091 points, just one point behind Jason Stahl who is 17th with 1,092. The Saints travel to West Jessamine tonight. Former Bracken County coach and athletic director Robert Hammonds is in his first as the coach at West Jessamine.

#3 Mason County at #1 Scott County Tonight

The Mason County at Scott County game tonight is the top matchup in the state.
Mason County is 13-1 and ranked third in the state. Top ranked Scott County is 12-1 and undefeated against Kentucky teams. The Cardinals only loss was to a team from Florida in the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The game will feature two of the top juniors in the state- Darius Miller of Mason County and Bud Mackey of Scott County. Mackey has verbally committed to Indiana University.
Here are the probable starters:

Mason County

G Tyreese Scott 5-8 155 Sr
G Russ Middleton 6-3 170 So
C Brad Pawsat 6-4 190 Sr
F Darius Miller 6-6 210 Jr
F Trevor Setty 6-5 160 Jr

Scott County

G Matt Walls 6-3 200 Sr
G Tyler Portwood 6-4 155 Jr
C Jordan Lee 6-7 185 Jr
F Bud Mackey 6-4 180 Jr
F Cameron Hundley 6-3 185 Jr

The Mason County Lady Royals have a big challenge playing the Scott County Lady Cardinals in the first game at 6:30 p.m. The Lady Cardinals are led by North Carolina signee Rebecca Gray.

Lofton Scores 29 in UT Loss

Chris Lofton scored 29 points in Tennessee's 82-81 road loss to Vanderbilt. Lofton was 11 of 15 from the field including six of seven on three-pointers. The loss snapped the Volunteers' nine game losing streak. UT plays at Ohio State Saturday at
1 p.m. The game is on CBS.

National City/KHSAA Trophy Tour

The trophy that will be presented to the champion of the 2007 National City/KHSAA Boys' State Basketball Tournament will be on display at Scott County Friday night during the Scott County vs. Mason County girl-boy doubleheader. This is the fourth straight year that National City has taken the trophy to various sites across the state. During the tour, students are able to pick up scholarship application forms.
One boy and one girl from each of the 16 regions will receive a one-time $1,000 scholarship from National City.

St. Patrick 78, Deming 39

The St. Patrick Saints doubled up on the Deming Black Devils 78-39 tonight. Three Saints scored in double figures, Chris Owens with 28 points, Nick Anderson 15 and William Newton 14.

Weekly Hoops Rankings

Here are the links to the weekly high school basketball rankings:

Courier-Journal

Herald Leader

West Carter at St. Patrick Boys Game Cancelled

The West Carter at St. Patrick boys basketball game January 18 has been cancelled because West Carter had too many games scheduled. Saints coach Jason Hinson is trying to schedule another game but that is tough to do at this time of the year.
Hinson says a game against Dayton is one possibility.

Lady Royals 85, Campbell County 56

Four Lady Royals scored in double figures in Mason County's 85-56 road win over Campbell County last night. De'sarae Chambers and Kasey Litzinger scored 16 points each and Torrey Chambers and Lacy Cline added 15 apiece. The Lady Royals play at Scott County Friday night.

Maysville-Mason County Alumni Dinner Jan. 19

The 3rd annual Maysville-Mason County Football Alumni dinner/weight room open house will be held January 19 from 6-7 p.m. (before the Mason County vs. Lexington Catholic basketball game) in the Mason County weight room. Former players will get to see the recent improvements to the weight room in addition to viewing the entire football facility. Alumni planning to attend the dinner should contact coach David Buchanan at 606-564-3393 or David.Buchanan@Mason.kyschools.us so enough food is provided.

Shotwell Won Six of Seven Matches Last Week

Campbell County wrestler Korey Shotwell went 6-1 last week. Shotwell, a freshmam from Maysville, won twice (a major decision and a technical fall) at Roger Bacon Wednesday. He was the highest placing freshman at the Fairfield Invitational Friday and Saturday. He lost a match for just the second time this season, losing to
the top ranked boy in Cincinnati 6-4. Shotwell's record is 38-2.

Chambers Scores 2,000th Point

Mason County junior De'sarae Chambers scored her 2,000th career point in the Lady Royals'75-53 win over Boyle County in the Applebee's Winter Classic at Boyle County on Dec. 30. Chambers, who became the Lady Royals' all-time leading scorer last month, now has 2,041 career points. She joins Shawn Myrick (2,049), Ronnie Lyons (2,621) and Chris Lofton (2,763) as the only members of the 2,000 point at Mason County.

Lofton Scores 21 as Vols Win SEC Opener

Chris Lofton scored 21 points and dished out four assists in Tennessee's 92-84 win over Mississippi State today. It was the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams. The Volunteers play Vanderbilt in Nashville Wednesday night.

This Week's Hoops Schedule

Here is this week's schedule of local high school basketball games:

Monday
(Boys Freshmen) Campbell County at Mason County 6:30 p.m.
(Girls) Mason County at Campbell County 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday
(Boys) Deming at St. Patrick 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday
(Girls Freshmen) Mason County at Bracken County 6 p.m.

Thursday
(Boys Freshmen) Mason County at Montgomery County 6:30 p.m.
(Boys) St. Patrick at Augusta 7:30 p.m.
(Girls) Campbell County at St. Patrick 7:30 p.m.

Friday
(Girls) Mason County at Scott County 6:30 p.m.
(Boys) Mason County at Scott County 8 p.m.
(Boys) St. Patrick at West Jessamine 7:30 p.m.

Saturday
(Boys Freshmen) St. Patrick at Deming 1:30 p.m.
(Girls) Bracken County at St. Patrick 8 p.m.

Mason County Wins Pepsi JV MCIT

Ryan Hamm's put back basket at the buzzer gave Mason County a 37-35 win over Bishop Brossart in the championship game of the Pepsi Junior Varsity Mason County Invitational Tournament today. Here are the scores from the tournament:

Semifinals
Mason County 51, Harrison County 35

Bishop Brossart 36, Montgomery County 29

Third Place Game
Harrison County 66, Montgomery County 40

Championship Game
Mason County 37, Bishop Brossart 35

Mason County 56, Bishop Brossart 33

The Mason County Royals held the Bishop Brossart Mustangs to one field goal in the first half on their way to a 56-33 win in the championship game of the Pepsi Mason County Invitational Tournament tonight at The Fieldhouse. The Royals led 6-4 after the first quarter and outscored the Mustangs 21-5 in the second quarter. Jimmy Uebel made Brossart's first field goal with 3:22 left in the first half. The Mustangs were one of 19 from the field in the first half. Darius Miller picked up two fouls in the first quarter. He finished with a double-double, 10 points and 10 rebounds. Tyreese Scott scored nine of his game-high 14 points in the second quarter.

MC FG 42.2%, 3 PT FG 41.2%, FT 91.7%, REB 34, TO 13
BB FG 25%, 3 PT FG 26.7%, FT 61.1%, REB 26, TO 17

Mason County (13-1)- Scott 14, Miller 10, Setty 12, Browning 3, Middleton 11, Stahl 6;
Bishop Brossart (12-2)- Kidney 5, Rebholz 3, Uebel 12, Mutsch 4, Cooper 9;

MC 6 21 15 14-56
BB 4 5 16 8-33

Litzinger Scores 1,000 Career Point

Mason County junior Kasey Litzinger scored her 1,000th career point in the Lady Royals' loss to Central Hardin today in the Shooting for a Cure at Bellarmine University in Louisville.

Pepsi JV MCIT Saturday

The Pepsi Junior Varsity Mason County Invitational Tournament will be played Saturday at the Fieldhouse. Here's the schedule:

Mason County vs. Harrison County 10 a.m.

Bishop Brossart vs. Montgomery County 11 a.m.

Consolation game 12:15 p.m.

Championship game 1:15 p.m.

Mason County 74, Harrison County 32

The Mason County Royals outscored the Harrison County Thorobreds 47-11 in the second half and won 74-32 tonight in the semifinals of the Pepsi Mason County Invitational Tournament. After leading by just six points at halftime, Mason County scored the first 15 points of the third quarter and outscored Harrison County 22-7 in the third quarter and 25-4 in the fourth quarter. Harrison County shot 12% from the field (3 of 25) in the second half. Five Royals scored in double figures led by Darius Miller with 19 points Brad Pawsat scored a career-high 10 points on five of five shooting.
Mason County will be play Bishop Brossart in the championship game Saturday night at
7:30. The Mustangs jumped out a 12-0 lead and beat Campbell County 58-42 in the other semifinals. Here are some statistics and the scoring summary for the Mason County-Harrison County game:

MC FG 52%, 3 PT FG 52.9%, FT 72.2%, REB 37, TO 10
HC FG 25.6%, 3 PT FG 14.3%, FT 58.8%, REB 24, TO 18

Mason County- Scott 8, Miller 19, Pawsat 10, Setty 14, Browning 10, Middleton 10,
Stahl 3;
Harrison County- Franklin 5, Reitz 4, Case 5, Puckett 7, Custard 2, Jenkins 2, Mullins 7;

MC 19 8 22 25-74
HC 10 11 7 4-32

Pepsi MCIT Scores

In the lower bracket first round games of the Pepsi Mason County Invitational Tournament tonight, Bishop Brossart beat Montgomery County 60-33 and Campbell County defeated St. Patrick 53-45. The semifinals will be played Friday night - Mason County vs. Harrison County at 6:30 and Bishop Brossart vs. Campbell County at 8.

Over and Back Violation

At least once or twice a season I see fans and sometimes coaches misunderstand the "over and back rule" in basketball and it happened again last week in the Mason County vs. Lexington Catholic game. A player for Lexington Catholic was dribbling upcourt when he stepped on the center line with one foot and then backed up in back court. The fans wanted an over and back call but it was not a violation and the officials were correct in not calling it. The player who has the ball is not considered in front court until both feet and the ball are across the center line. A player could straddle the center line, go into back court and not be called for a violation. Remember, it's both feet and the ball.

Mason County 83, Bracken County 39

Darius Miller scored a career high 31 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Mason County Royals to an 83-39 win over the Bracken County Polar Bears tonight in the opening game of the Pepsi Mason County Invitational Tournament. The Royals started off slow and coach Chris O'Hearn benched the starters with 6:09 left in the first quarter. After they came back in a couple of minutes later, the Royals scored 13 straight points to take control of the game. Miller scored 18 of Mason County's 22 first quarter points. He scored 26 points in the first half. For the game, Miller made 12 of 21 shots including two of four on three-point shots. He was five of six from the free throw line and had seven offensive rebounds. Trevor Setty scored 19 points and Nathan Stahl scored a career high 12 points. Bracken County was led in scoring by Ben Smith with 14 points. The Royals will play the Harrison County Thorobreds in the semi-finals Friday at 6:30 p.m. Harrison County edged Pendleton County 45-44 tonight.
Here some statistics and the scoring summary from the Mason County-Bracken County game:

MC FG 49.3%, 3 PT FG 35.3%, FT 84.6%, REB 45, TO 18
BC FG 34.8%, 3 PT FG 18.2%, FT 50%, REB 22, TO 25

Mason County (11-1) Scott 2, Miller 31, Pawsat 5, Setty 19, Browning 6, Middleton 3, Stahl 12, Tolle 4, Downing 1;

Bracken County (9-5)- Smith 14, Hall 12, Cooper 2, Craft 1, Hamilton 10

MC 22 23 24 14-83
BC 14 10 10 5-39

Weekly Hoops Rankings

Here are links to this week's high school basketball rankings:

Bluegrasspreps.com Boys

Bluegrasspreps.com Girls

Herald Leader

This Week's Hoops Schedule

Here's this week's local high school basketball schedule:

Tonight
(Girls) St. Patrick vs. Augusta 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday
(Boys) Mason County vs. Bracken County in Pepsi M.C.I.T 6:30 p.m.
(Boys) Pendleton County vs. Harrison County in Pepsi M.C.I.T. 8 p.m.

Thursday
(Girls Freshmen) Mason County vs. Bourbon County 6 p.m.
(Boys Freshmen) Mason County at Bourbon County 7 p.m.
(Boys) Bishop Brossart vs. Montgomery County in Pepsi M.C.I.T 6:30 p.m.
(Boys) St. Patrick vs. Campbell County in Pepsi M.C.I.T. 8 p.m.

Friday
(Boys) semifinals of Pepsi M.C.I.T 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
(Girls) St. Patrick at Fleming County 7:30 p.m.

Saturday
(Girls Freshman) Mason County at Rowan County 11 a.m.
(Girls) Mason County vs. Central Hardin in the Shooting for a Cure at Bellaramine University in Louisville 11 a.m.
(Girls) St. Patrick vs. Manchester in the Ohio/Kentucky Border Battle at Ripley 4 p.m.
(Boys) Pepsi M.C.I.T. Championship game

Shotwell Has a Big Week in Wrestling

Campbell County wrestler Korey Shotwell had a big week winning a total of six matches in two meets. Shotwell, a freshman from Maysville, had two wins - a technical fall (15-0)and a major decision (16-4)- at the St. Xavier Duals in Louisvlle Thursday. Then at the Wayne County Border Wars Saturday, Shotwell earned three victories by pin and a fourth by decision (9-6). Campbell County's next match is Wednesday at Roger Bacon High School in Cincinnati.

Pepsi MCIT

The Pepsi Mason County Invitational Tournament will be played Wednesday through Saturday at The Fieldhouse. Here's the schedule:

Mason County vs. Bracken County Wed. 6:30 p.m.
Pendleton County vs. Harrison County Wed. 8 p.m.

Bishop Brossart vs. Montgomery County Thurs. 6:30 p.m.
St. Patrick vs. Campbell County Thurs. 8 p.m.

Semifinals Fri. 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Championship game Sat. 7:30 p.m.