By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Covington Catholic shot 55 percent (19 of 34) from the field on its home floor and defeated Moeller, 58-53, in a game between the top-ranked boys’ high school basketball teams in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati on Tuesday.
Senior guard C.J. Fredrick scored 23 points to lead CovCath (4-0) to victory in the interstate series. Moeller (3-1) defeated the Colonels the previous three years and entered Tuesday’s game ranked No. 17 in the nation by USA Today.
CovCath senior guard C.J. Fredrick
The Colonels took a 46-36 lead in the third quarter when Fredrick made all four of his 3-point attempts. Moeller mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter and pulled to within four points, 54-50, in the closing seconds. But CovCath senior guards Fredrick and Aiden Ruthsatz each made two free throws to nail down the win.
Ruthsatz finished with 15 points. The Colonels’ other double-figure scorer was 7-foot-1 senior center Jake Walter with 10 points. Walter made four of his five field goal attempts and is now shooting 86.3 percent (19 of 22) after four games.
Moeller ended up shooting 40 percent (18 of 45) from the field and 52.6 percent (10 of 19) from the line. The Crusaders’ leading scorers were senior guards Jeremiah Davenport with 17 points and Isaiah Payton with 14.
CovCath won the battle on the boards, 27-22, with Walter and 6-foot-8 junior forward Nick Thelen each getting six rebounds. Walter also had three blocked shots and two assists for the Colonels.
Campbell County, the top-ranked girls’ basketball team in Northern Kentucky’s preseason coaches poll, will play a home game against Mount Notre Dame, the defending Ohio Division I state champion, on Thursday.
The Camels extended their perfect record to 6-0 with a 71-45 win over Ryle on Tuesday. The team is averaging 68 points per game behind the scoring of senior guards Taylor Clos and Lexie Stapleton and senior forward Mackenzie Schwarber, who all have double-figure averages.
MOELLER 11 8 17 17 — 53
COVCATH 9 14 23 12 — 58
MOELLER (3-1): Davenport 6 4 17, Hayes 3 3 9, Payton 5 0 14, Garcia 1 0 2, Pfriem 1 0 3, White 0 1 1, McCracken 0 2 2, Shipp 2 0 5. Totals: 18 10 53.
COVCATH (4-0): Thelen 3 2 8, Walter 4 2 10, Fredrick 8 3 23, Ruthsatz 4 4 15, Mayer 0 2 2. Totals: 19 13 58.
3-pointers: M — Payton 4, Davenport, Pfriem, Shipp. CC — Fredrick 4, Ruthsatz 3.
