NKyTribune staff
Evan Ipsaro scored 24 points and dished out four assists on Tuesday night as Covington Catholic posted a 75-61 win over Beechwood at Fort Mitchell.
Ipsaro finished 7-for-11 from the field and drained all three of his attempts from 3-point range. Junior center Mitchell Rylee added 19 points and a game-high 13 rebounds as CovCath (14-2) extended its winning streak to seven.
Evan Ipsaro launches a jumper during CovCath’s 75-61 win at Beechwood on Tuesday. (Photo by Dale Dawn)
CovCath jumped out to a 17-5 lead in the first quarter after Ipsaro buried a 3-pointer. Scotty Draud later scored seven straight points as Beechwood sliced the deficit to 19-15 at the end of the first quarter.
Rylee — who played at Beechwood last season and averaged 8.4 points per game for the Tigers as a sophomore — netted eight points in the opening quarter. CovCath built a 40-32 halftime lead behind Rylee’s 14 points.
Ipsaro poured in 16 points during the second half as CovCath cruised to the road victory. Reece Murphy and Donovan Stocks each scored 10 points for the Colonels, who shot 47.9 percent from the field.
Chandler Starks grabbed 12 rebounds and added five points for CovCath, which has not lost to a 9th Region team since Feb. 26, 2019, when Beechwood posted a 57-53 win over the Colonels in the 35th District Tournament championship game.
CovCath’s only loss to a Kentucky team this season is an 89-87 road setback in overtime at North Laurel. The Colonels also dropped a 52-49 decision to Cincinnati St. Xavier.
CovCath finished with a 34-24 advantage in rebounds and converted 21 free throws in 26 attempts. Rylee, who entered the game shooting 74.5 percent from the field, finished 6-for-9 and made seven of eight free throws.
Draud led Beechwood (14-4) with 21 points. Cameron Decker added 15 points for the Tigers, who were 9-for-25 from 3-point range. Cameron Boyd drained four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points for Beechwood, which had its four-game winning streak snapped.
CovCath is scheduled to play at 35th District rival Holy Cross on Friday night. Holy Cross is 9-4 and has won six of its past seven games.
Beechwood is scheduled to play at Gallatin County on Friday night.
CovCath junior center Mitchell Rylee (33) is closely defended by Beechwood’s Cameron Hergott (3) on Tuesday night in Fort Mitchell. (Photo by Dale Dawn)
CovCath’s Chandler Starks (left) plays tight defense against Beechwood’s Scotty Draud during the Colonels’ 75-61 win on Tuesday night. (Photo by Dale Dawn)
