By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Simon Kenton senior guard Kelly Niece has become the second basketball player in team history and the second member of his family to surpass the 2,000-point mark in career scoring.
Niece scored 28 points in his team’s 81-62 loss at Beechwood on Saturday to lift his career total to 2,019. He needs 163 points to surpass the team’s all-time record of 2,181 that’s held by 1995 Simon Kenton graduate Jeff Krohman.
Simon Kenton senior Kelly Niece
Niece’s older sister, Ally, also scored more than 2,000 points during her seven-year varsity career on the Scott and Simon Kenton girls basketball teams. She is now a junior guard on the Northern Kentucky University women’s team.
Both siblings had knee surgery to repair a torn ACL while they were in high school, and they each made successful comebacks. Kelly is the leading scorer in Northern Kentucky boys basketball this season with a 26.4 average. Ally led Simon Kenton to the 2018 8th Region championship when she was a senior.
Kelly scored 20 or more points in nine of his team’s first 11 games this season. His highest single-game point totals thus far have been 42 against Dixie Heights and 35 against Scott.
At the halfway mark of the regular season, the top five scoring averages in Northern Kentucky boys basketball belong to Niece (26.4 in 11 games), Highlands senior Sam Vinson (23.2, 11 games), Holy Cross sophomore Jacob Meyer (23.1, 11 games), Holmes senior Quantez Calloway (23.0, six games) and Beechwood senior Scotty Draud (22.9, 14 games).
Draud has now scored 2,729 points in five varsity seasons to close the gap between himself and the top two players on the region’s all-time list, and one of them happens to be his father. The record-holder is 2014 Dixie Heights graduate Brandon Hatton with 3,045 points, followed by 1986 Highlands graduate Scott Draud with 2,865 points.
Cooper reschedules girls basketball home game against Ryle
The girls basketball game between Ryle and Cooper that was canceled last Wednesday due to COVID-19 concerns has been rescheduled for Feb. 22 at Cooper.
In this week’s Associated Press statewide media poll, Ryle (8-2) was No. 7 and Cooper (9-2) didn’t get enough votes to make the top 10, even though the Jaguars upset No. 5 Louisville Sacred Heart on Saturday.
In the latest Northern Kentucky girls coaches poll, Ryle was No. 1 and Cooper was No. 3. Ryle has won the last seven games played between the neighboring rivals, including a victory in the first round of last year’s 33rd District playoffs.
Cooper finished last season with a 9-19 record. The Jaguars are one victory away from surpassing last year’s win total after posting victories in their last five games with underclassmen getting most of the playing time.
“The most enjoyable part about the program is watching these young ladies continue to mature and learning how to trust each other to win games,” said Cooper head coach Justin Holthaus.
CovCath grad starting for Bellarmine team that leads conference
Covington Catholic graduate Nick Thelen is a starting forward on the Bellarmine University men’s basketball team that moved into sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Sun Conference last week.
A 6-foot-7 sophomore, Thelen has started every game for the 11-5 Knights, who are making their debut in NCAA Division I this season. They have won eight straight conference games to move into first place with an 8-2 record.
Thelen is averaging 5.5 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. He’s shooting 71.4 percent (35 of 49) from the field, the highest percentage among Bellarmine’s five starters.
Cooper graduate Zac Jennings is a freshman guard who has seen limited playing time in the Knights’ first 16 games.
