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Impressive shooting performance carries Beechwood boys basketball team to seventh straight win


By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter

Beechwood showed why its the only undefeated team in 9th Region boys basketball on Tuesday when the Tigers shot 58 percent from the field during an 87-67 win at Dixie Heights to run their record to 7-0.

“Most nights we’ve been shooting the ball pretty good,” said Beechwood coach Erik Goetz. “I’m more happy with how we’re sharing it. If the ball moves and (our offense) has life, we’ve got a number of guys who can put the ball in the basket.”

Beechwood sophomore guard Scotty Draud puts up a jump shot over Dixie Heights senior Jabari Karim. (Photo by Tim Smith / www.pixbytim.com)

That was evident in Tuesday’s game. The Tigers had seven players who shot 50 percent or better from the field and four of them finished as double-figure scorers. The team leader was sophomore guard Scotty Draud, who netted a game-high 27 points to match his season average.

As a team, Beechwood shot 58 percent (31 of 53) from the field overall, 43 percent (10 of 23) from behind the 3-point arc and 75 percent (15 of 20) at the free throw line to surpass the 85-point mark for the fourth time in seven games.

“We’re feeling great,” Draud said of the team’s first 7-0 start since the 2005-06 season. “We’re playing good team basketball and we’re on a roll.”

At the end of the first quarter, Beechwood senior guard C.J. Brannen was fouled while hitting a 3-point shot. He knocked down the free throw to complete a four-point play that put his team ahead 20-13.

Then the Tigers took control with a 25-11 scoring run in the second quarter that opened up a 45-24 halftime lead.  At the break, Beechwood was shooting 60.7 percent (17 of 28) from the field compared to Dixie Heights’ 33.3 percent (9 of 27).

“They’re very talented offensively,” said Dixie Heights coach Roddy Stainforth. “They’ve got four guys on the floor at all times who can score with the ball. If you fall asleep (defensively) for two minutes, boom, you’re down 20. One thing about them is you pay dearly for your mistakes.”

The Colonels cut the margin to 13 points, 49-36, on a 3-pointer by senior guard Jamin Shumate midway through the third quarter. But Beechwood responded with another run that pushed it to 66-46 going into the fourth quarter.

Draud scored 12 of his team’s last 17 points in the third quarter with two of his five field goals coming on drives to the basket.

Ian Snelling of Dixie Heights, center, tries to protect the ball with Beechwood swarming around him. (Photo by Tim Smith / www.pixbytim.com)

“Up to this point in his career, he’s been more of shooter and we’re trying to get him to be more of an overall scorer and basketball player,” Goetz said of Draud. Rebounding the ball, attacking on the drive and getting to the foul line have been a point of emphasis with him.”

The other double-figure scorers for Beechwood were Brannen with 17, senior forward Mitchell Schilling with 11 and junior guard Aiden Bieger with 10.

Bieger was one of three players who came off the bench and played significant minutes for the Tigers. The trio had combined totals of 19 points, four rebounds and four steals.

“It’s crazy, we’ve got everybody from sophomores to juniors to seniors playing good basketball,” Draud said. “We can run and push the pace because we’ve got so many guys who can come in off the bench.”

Dixie Heights senior forward Arien Gentry posted a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds. He was 8-for-13 from the field, but the Colonels ended up shooting just 41.5 percent (22 of 53) on their home court.

Beechwood was ranked No. 7 in the Northern Kentucky preseason coaches poll. The Tigers have defeated No. 4 Scott and No. 6 Dixie Heights in the first three weeks of the season and they’ll visit No. 2 Cooper on Friday.

“No way we’re going to stay undefeated, but we’re getting quality wins against quality programs and we’re playing by far the toughest schedule since I’ve been here.” Goetz said. “So I am happy with the way we started, but we’ve got another big challenge on Friday.”

BEECHWOOD      20  25  21 21  — 87
DIXIE HEIGHTS   13  11  22  21  — 67

BEECHWOOD (7-0): Downton 1 0 2, Busald 3 0 7, Bieger 4 0 10, Rolf 1 0 3, Deatherage 1 0 2, Brannen 7 1 17, Draud 8 7 27, Schilling 3 5 11, Hughes 3 2 8. Totals: 31 15 87.

DIXIE HEIGHTS (2-3): Karim 3 4 12, Snelling 2 0 5, Gentry 8 4 21, Shumate 5 4 18, Flynn 2 0 6, Iames 0 1 1, Trimpe 1 0 2, Geraci 1 0 2. Totals: 22 13 67.

Three-point goals: B – Draud 4, Brannen 2, Bieger 2, Busald, Rolf.  DH – Shumate 4, Flynn 2, Karim 2, Snelling, Gentry.


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