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NewCath upsets Cooper in boys’ basketball showdown between two of area’s top teams


By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter

Ben Weyer was the only returning full-time starter on the Newport Central Catholic boys’ basketball roster coming into this season, but he’s not the only reason the Thoroughbreds are off to a 10-2 start.

NewCath defeated Cooper, 60-46, on Thursday even though Weyer was limited to three points in the second half when his team outscored the visitors by a 32-23 margin to nail down the upset.

Eric Anderson NCC

NewCath guard Eric Anderson, right, attempts a layup after driving past Cooper forward Sean McNeil. (Photo by Jackson Sports Photography)

In the Northern Kentucky boys’ basketball coaches poll conducted by the N. Ky. Tribune earlier this week, Cooper was No. 2 and NewCath was No. 3.

“It’s always been more than just me,” Weyer said of the Thoroughbreds’ early success. “A lot of teams focus on me. When they do that, I just trust my teammates and we win games like we did this one.”

Weyer finished with 16 points, six below his scoring average coming into the game. After getting 11 points in the first quarter, the 6-foot-7 senior had a hard time getting open looks at the basket, but his teammates picked up the slack.

In the second half, NewCath’s guards did most of their team’s scoring from the perimeter. The leaders were junior Luke Moeves and senior Eric Anderson who had a combined total of 19 points in the final two periods.

“When their guards are shooting like that, they’re tough to handle,” said Cooper coach Tim Sullivan. “They made the plays. They got the ball in the right spots and spaced the floor and hit some big shots.”

After NewCath closed out the first quarter with a 15-2 run, Moeves drilled a 3-pointer in the opening seconds of the second quarter to give his team a 24-9 lead. But Cooper rallied by making 3-point shots on four of its next five possessions and trimmed the margin to 28-23 at halftime.

When the Jaguars pulled to within 32-30 early in the third quarter, NewCath responded with a 9-0 run to regain control. Moeves had five points and Anderson had four to provide all of the Thoroughbreds’ scoring during that run.

Ben Weyer NCC

Ben Weyer

“That was huge,” said NewCath coach Ron Dawn. “I remember them coming over to the bench and Ben saying, ‘They had their run, now we need our run,’ and we got it. That’s what this game’s all about. We just need our runs to be a little more frequent and a little longer.”

NewCath maintained a double-digit lead during the fourth quarter. Moeves made two treys during that period and finished with 17 points. The game’s leading scorer was Cooper sophomore guard Adam Kunkel with 19.

Cooper junior guard Sean McNeil, who entered the game with a 17.7 average, was limited to nine points. His main focus, however, seemed to be guarding Weyer.

“He’s a match-up problem for anybody because he’s big enough to post up down low,” coach Sullivan said of Weyer. “I thought Sean did a phenomenal job guarding him and making him work for everything he got.”

NewCath ended up shooting 60.6 percent (20 of 33) from the field with 10 3-points goals. Cooper shot 36.7 percent (18 of 49) with six treys.

It was the fourth consecutive win for the Thoroughbreds and it snapped a 10-game winning streak by the Jaguars, who now have a 12-2 record.

“This was good for us because we’re young,” Weyer said of the upset victory. “We’ve just got to grow closer as a team and I like our odds (in the playoffs) at the end of the year.”

NEWCATH   21     7   16   16 – 60
COOPER       9    14   12   11 – 46

NEWCATH (10-2): Weyer 5 4 16, B. Anderson 2 0 6, Hall 3 2 9, Moeves 6 1 17, E. Anderson 3 0 7, Pangallo 0 3 3, Ludwig 1 0 2. Totals: 20 10 60.

COOPER (12-2): Hendrix 2 0 5, Kunkel 8 0 19, C. McNeil 1 0 2, S. McNeil 3 2 9, Ruhlman 1 1 3, Runion 2 1 6, Long 1 0 2. Totals: 18 4 46.

3-point goals: NC – Moeves 4, Weyer 2, B. Anderson 2, E. Anderson, Hall. COOP – Kunkel 3, Hendrix, S. McNeil, Runion.


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