State tournament photos

(Photos: Mason County team huddle during the Butler game; Neal Pawsat, Coach Chris O'Hearn,

Tyler Black and Justin Lang at post game press conference following the win over Butler; Rheuben Bluford and Jordan Gilbert with All-Tournament Team awards; the Royals with their semifinalist trophy, and Neal Pawsat, Justin Lang, Coach Chris O'Hearn and Jordan Gilbert at post game press conference following the loss to Shelby Valley)

Photo credit: Jason Butler and Danny Weddle

Justice scores 31 to lead Shelby Valley past Mason Co. 71-51

Elisha Justice scored 31 points to lead the Shelby Valley Wildcats past the Mason County Royals 71-51 today in the semifinals of the PNC/KHSAA Boys Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena. Shelby Valley led by 14 in the second quarter. The Royals got to within seven at 37-30, but Justice hit two free throws to put the Wildcats up by nine at the half. Mason County closed the gap to five at 41-36, but Justice answered with a three-pointer and the Wildcats pulled away. Justice was 10-of-16 from the field, including 5-of-6 on three-pointers. He made 6-of-6 foul shots and had three steals. Jordan Gilbert led Mason County in scoring with 15 points. Justin Lang added 10 points. Gilbert and Rheuben Bluford were named to the All-Tournament Team.

MC (25-7) Gilbert 15, J. Lang 10, Bluford 5, Setty 8, Pawsat 7, Black 6
SV (31-4) Justice 31, Ramey 4, Hatfield 15, Ta. Newsome 7, Varney 5, T. Tackett 3, D. Tackett 2, Ty. Newsome 4

MC FG 38.9% 3 PT FG 23.1% FT 60% REB 33 TO 18
SV FG 52.1% 3 PT FG 46.7% FT 63.6% REB 28 TO 10

MC 11 19 11 10-51
SV 22 17 16 16-71

State tournament photos

Karlie Smith of Bracken County and Kenton Murphy of Mason County receiving $1,000 scholarships from PNC. Rheuben Bluford, Justin Lang, Coach Chris O'Hearn and Jordan Gilbert at post game press conference.

(Press conference photo by Jason Butler)

Royals edge North Hardin 58-56 in overtime

Jordan Gilbert's layup with four seconds to play in overtime gave the Mason County Royals a 58-56 win in the first round of the PNC/KHSAA Boys Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena tonight.
Mason County led by 12 in the first quarter. North Hardin rallied to go up 49-47 with 1:41 left in regulation. Gilbert made a layup to tie the game with 1:32 to go. North Hardin Coach Ron Bevars says his team was playing for the last shot, but took a shot early and missed. Mason County got the rebound but a turnover gave the ball back to the Trojans with 11 seconds to play. North Hardin was called for a walk with eight seconds left. Mason County went the length of the floor, but Gilbert missed a layup with four seconds to go. North Hardin missed a three-pointer at the buzzer. A three-point play by Rheuben Bluford put Mason County ahead 56-54 with 1:37 left in overtime. James Berry hit a jumper to tie the game at 56-56 with 1:28 remaining. Mason County then spread the floor looking for the last shot. Gilbert drove to his right and banked in the layup. North Hardin took a timeout with 1.6 showing on the clock. The Trojans desperation shot at the buzzer was an air ball and Mason County advances to the quarterfinals. Gilbert and Bradley Lang led Mason County in scoring with 12 points a piece. Justin Lang added 10 points. Bluford had nine points and 14 rebounds. Mason County will play Butler in the quarterfinals Friday at 8 p.m. Butler beat Knott County Central 57-46.

MC (24-6) Gilbert 12, J. Lang 10, Bluford 9, Setty 7, B. Lang 12, Pawsat 4, Black 4
NH (27-5) Phelps 15, Rol. Emerson 5, Ruttley 9, Roo. Emerson 5, Hendrix 2, Berry 20

MC FG 36.8% 3 PT FG 8.3% FT 65.2% REB 43 TO 12
NH FG 41.7% 3 PT FG 27.3% FT 59.1% REB 33 TO 13

MC 17 08 16 08 09-58
NH 07 15 13 14 07-56

Royals edge Clark Co. 62-60 for three-peat

The Mason County Royals rallied from six down in the fourth quarter to beat the Clark County Cardinals 62-60 tonight in the championship game of the 10th Region Tournament at The Fieldhouse. It's the Royals' third straight regional title, their fourth in five years and their seventh in nine years. Clark County led 55-49, but Mason County went on an 8-0 run to go up 57-55. Treg Setty tied the game on a three-pointer and the Royals took the lead on a run out layup by Justin Lang. Corey Rogers hit a shot to tie the game at 57-57. Jordan Gilbert made 1-of-2 free throws to put the Royals up by one. Lang sank two free throws to make it 60-57 with 33 seconds left. Neal Pawsat made 1-of-2 from the line to make it a two possession game at 61-57 with 18 seconds to go. Vinny Zollo swished a three-pointer for Clark County to cut Mason County's lead to one with 9.9 seconds left. Lang went back to the line and hit 1-of-2 foul shots to put the Royals up 62-60 with 8.8 seconds remaining. Clark County turned the ball over and time ran out. Mason County has won 10 straight games. Gilbert and Lang scored 16 points apiece. Treg Setty added 10 points and Rheuben Bluford grabbed 11 rebounds. Zollo had a double-double for Clark County with 19 points and 16 rebounds. Corey Rogers scored 17 points and Robbie Stenzel added 12. Mason County will play the 5th Region champion March 18 at 6:30 p.m. in the state tournament at Rupp Arena. Campbellsville and North Hardin meet in the 5th Region finals Tuesday night at Nelson County.

MC (23-6) Gilbert 16, J. Lang 16, Bluford 3, Setty 10, Harris 2, Pawsat 8, Black 7
CC (26-7) Daniel 3, Kindred 2, Stenzel 12, Purvis 7, Zollo 19, Rogers 17

MC FG 40.4% 3 PT FG 35% FT 50% REB 37 TO 9
CC FG 37.3% 3 PT FG 26.3% FT 68.8% REB 42 TO 13

MC 09 20 11 22-62
CC 16 14 16 14-60

Notes:

• Mason County has won 14 10th Region titles;
• The Royals have won a record 74 10th Region Tournament games. Mason County began this year's tournament tied with Maysville with 71 victories;
• This is Mason County's third three-peat. The Royals also won three straight region titles in 1992, 93 and 94 and in 2002, 03 and 04;
  
• Mason County senior manager Kenton Murphy will receive a $1,000 PNC Sweet 16 scholarship at the state tournament. One senior boy and one senior girl from each region wins a scholarship. Karlie Smith of Bracken County will also receive a $1,000 scholarship

(Edited to correct Clark County's rebound total)

Royals start fast, beat Pendleton Co. 65-52

The Mason County Royals jumped out to a 14-0 lead and went on to beat the Pendleton County Wildcats 65-52 tonight in the semifinals of the 10th Region Tournament at The Fieldhouse. Mason County had a 15-0 advantage on second chance points. Bradley Lang was 6-of-7 from the field and scored a career-high 16 points. Jordan Gilbert also scored 16 points. Justin Lang added 10 points, and Rheuben Bluford grabbed 12 rebounds. Mason County advances to the region championship for the fifth straight year. The Royals will play Clark County Monday at 7:30 p.m. Advance tickets will be sold at The Fieldhouse box office Monday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

MC ( 22-6) Gilbert 16, J. Lang 10, Bluford 6, Setty 8, B.Lang 16, Pawsat 9
CC (17-14) Monroe 6, Cooper 11, Greene 16, Farrell 6, Jones 6, Taylor 6, Valentine1

MC FG 40.4% 3 PT FG 31.3% FT 56.3% REB 43 TO 6
CC FG 32.6% 3 PT FG 39.1% FT 65% REB 31 TO 11

MC 16 15 15 19-65
CC 10 10 15 17-52

Royals beat Polar Bears 67-45 in district championship game

The Mason County Royals won the 39th District Tournament for the 10th straight year with a 67-45 victory over the Bracken County Polar Bears in the championship game tonight at Bracken County. The Royals closed the first half on an 18-2 run to lead by 20. Mason County shot 71.4% in the first half, including 8-of-10 in the second quarter. Jordan Gilbert led the Royals in scoring with 13 points. Ryne King scored 12 points. Rheuben Bluford had a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds. Treg Setty scored 11 points and Justin Lang added 10 points.

MC (20-6) Gilbert 13, J. Lang 10, Bluford 11, Setty 11, B. Lang 2, King 12, Pawsat 2, Black 6
BC (19-11) Hamilton 14, Workman 13, A. Cummins 1, Craft 13, Ty. Jefferson 4

MC FG 53.1% 3 PT FG 40% FT 47.4% REB 36 TO 22
BC FG 27.7% 3 PT FG 16.7% FT 76.2% REB 31 TO 21

MC 18 22 17 10-67
BC 13 07 12 13-45

(Photo credit: Brian Menke)

Royals beat Bryan Station 57-44 on Senior Night

The Mason County Royals celebrated Senior Night with a 57-44 win over the Bryan Station Defenders tonight in the Spectrum Graphx Classic. The Royals led by 16 in the third quarter. Bryan Station got to within four points early in the fourth quarter before Mason County pulled away again. Jordan Gilbert led the Royals in scoring with 14 points. Rheuben Bluford had a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. He also blocked seven shots. Justin Lang had 10 points and four steals. With Tyler Black returning to action, Mason County was at full strength for the first time this season. The Royals play the St. Patrick Saints in the 39th District Tournament Tuesday night at Bracken County.

MC (18-6) Gilbert 14, J. Lang 10, Bluford 10, Setty 8, B. Lang 4, Harris 2, Pawsat 8, Black 1
BS (12-13) Baffour 7, Adams 2, Barner 8, Evans 12, Renfro 4, Waide 11

MC FG 35.8% 3 PT FG 18.8% FT 69.6% REB 36 TO 10
BS FG 32.7% 3 PT FG 20% FT 55.6% REB 40 TO 15

MC 11 12 14 20-57
BS 09 08 14 13-44

Royals cruise to a 71-51 win over Harrison County

Playing their first game since Feb. 2, the Mason County Royals cruised to a 71-51 victory over the Harrison County Thorobreds tonight in Cynthiana. The Royals scored 26 points off 20 Harrison County turnovers. Mason County led by 16 at the half, and outscored Harrison County 14-3 in the third quarter. The Royals led by as many as 35 in the fourth quarter. Treg Setty led Mason County in scoring with 14 points. Justin Lang followed with 13 points. Neal Pawsat scored 11 points. Rheuben Bluford had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Mason County hosts Covington Catholic Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

MC (16-6) Gilbert 8, J. Lang 13, Bluford 10, Setty 14, B. Lang 8, King 5, Harris 2, Pawsat 11
HC (13-11) Martin 7, Sanders 10, Turner 8, Ford 2, Thomas 20, Nichols 2, Wagner 2

MC FG 47.5% 3 PT FG 36.4% FT 62.5% REB 37 TO 12
HC FG 40% 3 PT FG 25% FT 62.5% REB 29 TO 20

MC 30 15 14 12-71
HC 14 15 03 19-51

Royals use a big run to beat Fleming County 72-48

The Mason County Royals ended the game on a 21-3 run and beat the Fleming County Panthers 72-48 tonight in Flemingsburg. There were four ties and six lead changes in the first half. Mason County led by nine after three quarters. Fleming County got to within six at 51-45, but only scored three points the rest of the game. The Panthers made 6-of-11 three-pointers in the first half, but Mason County cranked up its defense and held Fleming County to 1-of-9 from behind the arc in the second half. The 74 points are the most scored by the Royals this season. Fleming County's 48 points are 27 below its average. Five Mason County players scored in double figures.
Treg Setty led the way with 16 points. Josh Harris scored a career-high 11 points. Jordan Gilbert also had 11 points. Rheuben Bluford and Neal Pawsat each added 10 points. The Royals host Rowan County Friday night.

MC (14-6) Gilbert 11, J. Lang 4, Bluford 10, Setty 16, B. Lang 5, King 3, Harris 11, Hamm 2, Pawsat 10
FC (10-5) Taylor 4, Dugan 18, Duncan 3, Hicks 2, Jolly 6, Gray 9, Kinder 1, Gibbs 5

MC FG 53.7 3 PT FG 44.4% FT 50% REB 39 TO 18
FC FG 33.3% 3 PT FG 35% FT 61.9% REB 23 TO 20

MC 16 16 19 21-72
FC 11 18 13 06-48

Royals' rally comes up short in a 64-59 loss to Lafayette

The Lafayette Generals held off Mason County's fourth quarter rally to beat the Royals 64-59 tonight in Lexington. Lafayette led by as many as 12 points in the third quarter. Mason County got to within one point twice in the final minute of the game, but the Generals hit clutch free throws and forced the Royals to commit back-to-back turnovers in the closing seconds. Treg Setty led Mason County in scoring with 21 points and also had nine rebounds. Rheuben Bluford had another double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. He also blocked seven shots. Jordan Gilbert added 11 points. Mason County plays at Fleming County Tuesday night.

MC (13-6) Gilbert 11, J. Lang 4, Bluford 16, Setty 21, B. Lang 7
L (15-2) Walker 15, Napier 12, Yarbrough 15, Hagans 15, Davis 7

MC FG 40.4% 3 PT FG 26.7% FT 75% REB 41 TO 22
L FG 39.7% 3 PT FG 23.8% FT 86.7% REB 32 TO 14

MC 13 18 06 22-59
L 15 13 19 17-64

Bluford, Setty and team "D" lead Royals to a 49-30 win over Henry Clay

Rheuben Bluford had a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds (both are career highs), Treg Setty added 19 points and the Mason County Royals clamped down on defense in a 49-30 win over the Henry Clay Blue Devils tonight at The Fieldhouse. The Royals held the Blue Devils to 10 points in the first half. Neal Pawsat saw his first action after suffering an injury in the football season. He entered the game with 1:46 to play in the third quarter. He played two minutes and 33 seconds. Mason County plays at Lafayette Saturday night.

MC (13-5) Gilbert 3, J. Lang 2, Setty 19, B. Lang 4, Bluford 20, King 1
HC (8-11) Kimball 9, Nichols 8, Kiesling 11, Pinder 2

MC FG 44% 3 PT FG 14.3% FT 60% REB 39 TO 11
HC FG 31.7% 3 PT FG 16.7% FT 33.3% REB 21 TO 12

MC 14 09 12 14-49
HC 06 04 15 05-30


Note: Mason County's 1985 10th Region championship team was recognized at halftime.

(Edited to correct Mason County's record and individual scoring.)

Mason County and Madison Central split girl-boy doubleheader

Mason County and Madison Central split a girl-boy doubleheader Friday night in Richmond. The Lady Royals fell behind 11-0, cut the deficit to one, but lost to the Lady Indians 73-58. Keller Menke led Mason County in scoring with 20 points. Katelyn Smith scored 15 points and Bailey Menke added a career-high 14 points. The Lady Royals play at Harrison County Saturday night.
Treg Setty, Rheuben Bluford and Justin Lang combined for 44 points to lead the Mason County Royals to a 57-41 win over the Indians. Setty had a game-high 18 points. Bluford had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds- both are career highs. Bluford also blocked five shots.
Lang added 11 points. The Royals play LaSalle Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in the National Hoops Classic in Wellston, Ohio.

Girls

Mason Co. (11-7) Moran 2, Likins, 1, B. Menke 14, K. Menke 20, Smith 15, Queen 4, Gibbs 2
Madison Central (17-1) Ciolek 4, Sizemore 10, Brooks 22, Parks 4, Busch 7, Feldhaus 4, Cornelison 19, Farris 3

Mason Co. FG 42% 3 PT FG 50% FT 63.2% REB 34 TO 19
Madison Central FG 49.1% 3 PT FG 16.7% FT 59.3% REB 34 TO 12

Mason Co. 11 15 17 15-58
Madison Central 19 15 18 21-73

Boys

Mason Co. (11-4) Gilbert 3, J. Lang 11, Bluford 15, Setty 18. B. Lang 6, King 2, Harris 2
Madison Central (5-12) Schneider 6, Covington 10, Ford 2, Pyatt 12, Allen 1, Congleton 2, Abshear 2

Mason Co. FG 43.4% 3 PT FG 14.3% FT 71.4% REB 37 TO 9
Madison Central FG 33.3% 3 PT FG 33.3% FT 50% REB 30 TO 14

Mason Co. 09 19 20 09-57
Madison Central 07 16 08 10-41