LEXINGTON – Highlands has not been known for its defense on the basketball court this year.
The Bluebirds have been well known for explosive offense, but they have turned it up a notch on the other end of the floor in the postseason.
The Bluebirds posted their third-straight strong defensive performance of the Sweet 16, and one of their best of the season, in ousting Ashland Blazer 66-50 in the state semifinals of the KHSAA Boys Sweet 16 Saturday afternoon at Rupp Arena.
Highlands, 29-4 overall and winners of 20 straight, plays Elizabethtown (22-2) in the state championship game at 8 p.m. Saturday night.
Highlands is in the championship for the third time in team history (1924, 1997) and Elizabethtown is seeking its second championship all-time (2000).
Highlands fans can still buy tickets here.
Head coach Kevin Listerman said he believes it’s the 1,500th win all-time in the program’s history.
“Our fans have been awesome,” he said. “We’re so proud to represent our school and community.”
Derek Smith, a three-time Sweet 16 all-tournament selection from 1997-99 who with the deceased Jared Lorenzen, led the Bluebirds to the state final in 1997, tweeted Saturday morning.
Elizabethtown has won eight straight since losing 79-62 at Covington Catholic March 6. The Panthers average 76 points per game on offense and have outscored Knott County Central, George Rogers Clark and Ballard this week by an average of 22 points.
E’town has five players in double figures, led by one of the top players in the state, senior Jaquais Franklin, who averages over 20.
Highlands’ semifinal win was a rematch of the season opener for both teams Jan. 4, which Highlands beat Ashland 84-75 in Fort Thomas. It was also a rematch of the state semifinals in 1924, which the Bluebirds won 37-11.
Highlands outscored the Tomcats 40-18 after trailing by six points late in the second quarter. Ashland hit half of its shots in the first half but only made 7 of 28 (25 percent) in the second half. Ashland, averaging 72 points per game, was held to its lowest point total of the season.
Highlands allowed 64 points per game on defense for the year and held its fifth opponent to 50 points or fewer. Two of those occasions were against tiny district rival Bellevue.
“Their length just bothered us,” said Ashland head coach Jason Mays. “We couldn’t finish attacking the rim. I was hoping to get to the free throw line and it just wasn’t in the cards. We’re good at shooting the ball and we missed some shots as well.”
Highlands led 36-32 at halftime but Ethan Sellars scored five points to give Ashland the lead, 37-36, early in the third quarter. Ashland scored 13 the rest of the way.
Highlands won the rest of the quarter, 15-7. Oliver Harris scored the last three baskets for Highlands, and Ashland only shot 2-11 from the field after Sellars' two scores.
Highlands led 56-50 with five minutes to play after a basket from sophomore point guard Colin Porter for Ashland.
Vinson hit two free throws to make it 58-50.
With less than three minutes to go, Harris, who a few trips earlier had his shot blocked by Ashland’s 6-foot-8 senior Sean Marcum, faked out Marcum with the ball, then passed to Muller for an open layup, and it was 60-50.
Highlands put on a passing show after that. Harris scored a layup from a no-look pass by Vinson. Barth drove through three defenders for a layup, and Muller scored a layup off a nifty pass from Barth.
Highlands shot 56.9 percent from the floor (29-51).
Vinson, an NKU signee, had 27 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals.
Senior Luke Muller sored 15 points, going 3-of-5 from 3-point range, with six rebounds. He is averaging 21.7 points per game with 13 made 3-pointers out of 18 attempts. The state record for threes in a Sweet 16 is 17, by Mason County’s Chris Lofton in 2003.
Harris had 10 points, four rebounds and two assists and two steals.
Barth posted nine points, four rebounds and four assists. Leyton Read scored one basket, to start the fourth quarter and put Highlands up nine.
Highlands only hit five 3-pointers as the Tomcats focused on limiting outside shooting, but it didn’t matter on this day.
“You’ve got Sam Vinson, who I voted for Mr. Basketball, then everybody else,” head coach Jason Mays said. “Barth is 49 percent from 3, (Will Herald) is 54 percent from 3, Muller is 45 percent. Even Harris is in the mid-40s but he doesn’t shoot it much. Last night, you watch Muller hit seven or eight threes, so do you leave them open or do you let Vinson beat you? We made a decision on how to guard them, and the kids bought in, but it didn’t work out.”
Will Herald had only three points, but guarded Ashland’s leading scorer, Cole Villers, after he had a hot start.
“He did an unbelievable job guarding him and limiting his touches,” Listerman said. “For a young man, who is typically a scorer, to be asked to play that role on this stage, I couldn’t be more proud of him. He owned it and took the challenge, and did his absolute best. That allowed other guys to be more relaxed on defense and clean things up on the boards. I’m so proud of the defense we’ve played down here and I’m hoping we have one more game in us.”
Ashland came into the semis with some hot shooting of its own. The Tomcats made seven 3-pointers in the first half, with four of their five starters hitting one. They hit four in a row to take a 16-11 lead in the first quarter, and Sellars hit another to give Ashland a 21-17 lead after one.
Villers had 10 of Ashland’s first 16 points but only two after. Porter finished with 15 points and four assists.
Sophomore Colin Porter, a quick and slippery 5-foot-11 point guard, scored Ashland’s last eight points of the first half, including a basket that gave the Tomcats a six-point lead at 32-26.
After taking that lead, the Tomcats missed one shot and turned it over three times the rest of the half.
Vinson scored eight of Highlands’ last 14 points of the half, all on layups, including a tough reverse layup from a baseline drive to complete a 10-0 run and allow Highlands to lead by four, 36-32 at halftime. Junior Zach Barth and senior Luke Muller hit 3-pointers in the run.
Ashland shot 50 percent and had eight assists for its 12 field goals.
Vinson had 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting in the first half, with three rebounds. Highlands shot 64 percent from the floor (16-of-25).
“I was driving the whole game, kicking it out to open shooters,” Vinson said. “With the bigger court, there was more space for me to drive in. and lot of that opened up later in the game and I got easy buckets out of that.”
HIGHLANDS 17 19 15 15-66
ASHLAND BLAZER 21 11 12 6-50
HIGHLANDS: Vinson 12 3 27, Barth 4 0 9, Muller 6 0 15, Harris 5 0 10, Herald 1 0 3, Read 1 0 2.
ASHLAND BLAZER: Carter 2 0 6, Porter 6 1 15, Sellars 4 2 13, Villers 5 0 12, Marcum 2 0 4.
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