Royals fall at Rowan County

The Mason County Royals rallied from a 13-point deficit to tie the game, but were outscored 14-8 in the closing minutes and lost to the Rowan County Vikings 64-58 tonight in Morehead.

After trailing by 13 points in the second quarter and by 11 in the third quarter, Mason County tied the game at 50-50 with 4:20 to play.

With 3:51 left Leevi Dunaway was called for a technical foul after a scramble for a loose ball.

After the technical, Rowan County scored nine straight points to lead 59-50 with 1:52 remaining.

"(Dunaway) shouldn't have over reacted like he did, that's on him, but, bottom line is, he got kneed in the back of the head. You know, there was no call," Mason County coach Buddy Biggs said. "The guy had him down on the floor pushing him, then, kneed him in the back of the head. They don't call anything, course he over reacted, and that's on him, that's why we took him out of the game."

Dunaway, who scored a game-high 20 points, sat out the rest of the game.

The Royals got to within three points twice in the closing minute, but Rowan County sealed the win at the free throw line.

The Vikings were 13-of 15 on free throws for the game including 11-of-13 in the fourth quarter.

Rowan County shot 60.9 percent from the field in the first half including 7-of-11 on three-pointers.

Mason County shot 54.2 percent from the field in the second half.

Dalton Perkins scored 13 points and Xylon Frey added 10 points.

The Royals close out the regular season Thursday night at Bishop Brossart.

RC (14-14) Gardner 13, Johnson 9, Madden 13, Sizemore 15, Cox 3, Mullen 6, Tansil 5

MC (15-12) Dunaway 20, Perkins 13, Frey 10, Jones 5, Devine 4, Brammer 6

RC  16 21 09 18- 64

MC 17 12 15 14- 58

Camels top Royals 77-68

The Campbell County  Camels scored the final six points of the game to seal a 77-68 victory over the Mason County Royals tonight at The Fieldhouse.

There were five ties and nine lead changes in the game.

Campbell County led by eight points in the second quarter.

Mason County was up 56-50 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, but Campbell County went on a  17-4 run to lead 67-60 with just under five minutes to play.

The Royals closed to within 71-68 with 1:19 left, but the Camels hit 6 of 6 free throws in the final minute to record their 13th victory.

With Campbell County's leading scorer on the season- Reid Jolly-  sidelined with an injury and an illness, senior guard Tanner Clos stepped up and scored a game-high 29 points.

Joel Day and Drew Wilson scored 12 points apiece. 

Nate Schafer, who was averaging 1.8 points a game, scored all 11 of his points in the fourth quarter. He hit three three-pointers.

Mason County only played six players. Freshman guard Jeremiah Jones was out sick.

Leevi Dunaway also was under the weather, but he scored a team-high 19 points.

Jayden Steward scored 18 points, Jaylen Lofton had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Dalton Perkins followed with 10 points.

Mason County plays Holmes in Covington Saturday.

CC (13-2) Day 12. Clos 29, Wilson 12, Lawrence 4, Russell 2, Helton 5, Schafer 11, Wirth 2

MC (8-6) Dunaway 19, Lofton 11, Perkins 10, Boyd 6, Steward 18, Frey 4

CC 16 16 16 29- 77

MC 15 15 24 14- 68


(Updated to correct that Tanner Clos is a senior.)

Royals routed by shorthanded Owensboro Catholic Aces 67-31

The Mason County Royals came out flat and were routed 67-31 by an Owensboro Catholic team that was without its two best players today in the consolation bracket of the 63rd Ashland Invitational Tournament.

Owensboro Catholic, without Luke Hayden, the 3rd Region pre-season player of the year, and senior point guard Maxwell Reid,  jumped out to a 7-0 lead and was up 30-14 at halftime and 47-23 at the end of the third quarter.

After Mason County scored the first two points of the fourth quarter, Owensboro Catholic scored 16 straight points to put a running clock in effect with 3:07 left in the game.

Mason County shot 26 percent from the field including 1 of 16 on three-pointers, had 18 turnovers and was outrebounded 50-29.

"It's an absolute embarrassment," Coach Buddy Biggs said. "(I) apologize to our fans and our school and our community. We'll get back at it at 10 o'clock in the morning; we're going to practice and we'll come back down here and we'll play harder tomorrow at 2:30."

The Royals were led in scoring by Jayden Steward who scored 16 points.

Jaylen Lofton had six points and 10 rebounds.

Two starters- Leevi Dunaway and Dalton Perkins- were scoreless.

Mason County will play Breathitt County in the seventh place game Friday at 2:30 p.m.

OC (6-5) H. Riney 4, Survant 8, Cecil 1, Hartz 4, Ballard 11, A. Riney 4, Marshall 11, McFarland 12, Vincent 12

MC (7-5) Lofton 6, Boyd 2, Steward 16, Jackson 3, Frey 2, Muse 2

OC 17 13 17 20- 67

MC 08 06 09 08- 31

Shorthanded Royals lose to Ashland 55-53

The Mason County Royals, playing without three regular starters, lost to the Ashland Tomcats 55-53 Friday night in Ashland.

Freshman guard Sam Kumler and junior center Dalton Perkins are injured, and junior guard Isaiah Garrison, the Royals' second-leading scorer, is no longer on the team.

"He was very adamant he longer wanted to be with us, and we granted that request," Mason County coach Buddy Biggs said about Garrison on the WFTM radio pregame show Friday night.

Mason County had an eight-point lead in the second quarter, but Ashland rallied for a 25-24 lead at the half.

The Tomcats outscored the Royals 17-8 in the third quarter for a 42-32 lead.

Mason County closed to within two points at 50-48 with 1:10 to play,  but could get no closer.

Christian Villars sealed the win by hitting one of two free throws to give Ashland a 55-51 lead with seven seconds left.

Leevi Dunaway had a putback just ahead of the buzzer,

Dunaway scored a game-high 29 points including 13 in the fourth quarter. 

Mason County was 19 of 55 from the field (34.5%) and 4 of 21 on three-point shots (19%).

The Royals host Lexington Catholic tonight. It's a tripleheader with the freshman game at 4:30, junior varsity at 6 and the varsity at 7:30.

Mason County's 1967 state championship golf team will be recognized at halftime of the varsity game,

A (4-12) Villers 18, Headerlin 8, Copley 9, Robinson 7, Fox 6, Hester 2, Adkins 2, Hudson 9

MC (10-8) Dunaway 29, Lofton 4, Boyd 9, Steward 2, Jackson 3, Fox 6

A     09 16 17 13-55

MC 12 12 08  21-53

Royals' losing skid reaches three games with a 78-66 loss to Holmes

A close game changed quickly in the fourth quarter and the Holmes Bulldogs beat the Mason County Royals 78-66 this afternoon at the Fieldhouse.

It's Mason County's third straight loss.

There were nine ties and six lead changes in a fast paced first half.

Mason County had a five-point lead in the third quarter, but Holmes rallied to lead 53-49 at the end of the third quarter.

The Bulldogs opened the fourth quarter on a 15-5 run and led by as many as 15 points in the closing minutes.

Mike Englemon scored a game-high 28 points for Holmes.

Trey Gaither, who ended up with 15 points,  hit a three-pointer late in the four quarter and made two treys in the opening minute of the fourth quarter

Mason County was led in scoring by Isaiah Garrison with 20 points.

Leevi Dunaway followed with 15 points.

Royals junior center Dalton Perkins missed his second straight game with a sprained ankle.

Mason County coach Buddy Biggs says it will be late January or early February before Perkins returns to action.

Senior Ty Fox, who suffered an injury in the football season, played for the first time this season and scored four points 

The Royals play at Fleming County Monday night.

H (8-7) Gaither 15, Commodore 4, Englemon 28, Green 10, Miller 14, Saxon 2, Sterling 3, Pouncy 2

NC (9-7) Dunaway 15, Garrison 20, Lofton 7, Boyd 6, Steward 4, Jackson 2, Kumler 8, Fox 4

H    16 16 21 25- 78

MC 13 22 14 17- 66 

Royals routed by Lexington Christian 83-56 in Gateway Holiday Classic Finals

The Lexington Christian Eagles outscored the Mason County Royals 26-10 in the third quarter for an 83-56 win in the championship game of the Gateway Holiday Classic tonight at Montgomery County,

Lexington Christian's three big guards were too much for Mason County on both ends of the court.

The Eagles took a 17-12 lead with 4:35 left in the second quarter. The Royals put together a 13-3 run to get to within five points, but Lexington Christian scored the final six points of the half,

The Eagles led by as many as 32 points.

Mason County center Dalton Perkins left the game with an ankle injury with 2:14 remaining in the second quarter.

The loss snapped Mason County's four-game winning streak.

Sam Kumler led the Royals in scoring with 12 points. Leevi Dunaway and Isaiah Garrison both scored 11 points.

Dunaway. Garrison and Jaylen Lofton were named to the All-Tournament Team.

The Royals' next game is Tuesday night at Campbell County.

LC (11-2) Stewart 15, Hendrickson 13, Rode 12, Hall 22, Harper 8, Hacker 3, Miller 1,Ezeikiel 3, Johnson 3, Hardin 1

MC (9-5) Dunaway 11, Garrison 11, Lofton 6, Boyd 3, Steward 4, Jackson 2, Kumler 12, Frey 1, Chambers 2, Jones 4

LC 16 18 26 23-  83

MC 08 17 10 21- 56

(Updated to add the Royals who were named to the All-Tournament Team)

Royals defeat Manchester 75-38 for Biggs' 300th win

The Mason County Royals defeated the Manchester Greyhounds 75-38 this afternoon at the Fieldhouse.

It is the 300th career victory for coach Buddy Biggs.

Dalton Perkins led the Royals in scoring with a career-high 18 points.

Isaiah Garrison scored 15 points and Jaylen Lofton added 11 points.

The Royals shot 53.7% from the field (58.3% in the second half). 

The Greyhounds hit just 32% of their field goal attempts.

Mason County plays at Bourbon County Tuesday night.

MC (3-0) Dunaway 5, Garrison 15, Lofton 11, Perkins 18, Boyd 5, Steward 8, Jackson 5, Kumler 1,

Mitchell 3, Frey 5

M (0-2) Combs 13, Thornburg 4, Cox 17, Bilyeu 2, Gould 2

MC 20 20 25 10-75

M   11  09 09 09-38

Dunaway scores 36 to lead Royals to 81-77 win over Simon Kenton

Leevi Dunaway scored a career-high 36 points to lead the Mason County Royals to an 81-77 come-from-behind victory in their home opener tonight.

Mason County used a 2-2-1 zone press to rally from a nine-point third quarter deficit

The Royals outscored the Pioneers 31-20 in the fourth quarter.  

Dunaway was 11-of-17 from the field and 13-of-15 from the free throw line. He had seven rebounds, five steals and one assist. Dunaway scored 17 points in the fourth quarter.

Isaiah Garrison had a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Jaylen Lofton scored 11 points.

Dalton Perkins had eight points, 10 rebounds and six blocks.

Caleb Boyd added seven points.

Mason County made 25-of-31 free throws.

The Royals host the Manchester Greyhounds Saturday afternoon, The junior varsity game begins at 2 p.m. followed by the varsity game at 3:30.

MC (2-0) Dunaway 36, Garrison 19, Lofton 11, Perkins 8, Boyd 7

SK (0-1) Kitchens 9, Robinson 11, Kelch 11, C. Sergent 12, Hawkins 8, Mastin 3, Perry 9, J. Sergent 5, Niece 9

MC 13 18 19 31-81

SK  18 16 23 20-77