Sam Vinson has earned a lot of attention for leading the Highlands basketball team this year.
The senior standout has had plenty of help of late, helping the Bluebirds become the hottest team in the Ninth Region.
The Bluebirds continued their hot streak with a 74-68 win over St. Henry in the first Ninth Region semifinal Wednesday night at Holmes’ Evans Fieldhouse.
Highlands (25-4), advances to play Conner (17-6) in Friday’s 7 p.m. final at Holmes. St. Henry finishes 18-4.
Highlands, last year’s regional runner-up, is looking for its first championship since 2001. Conner has one title, in 1993, and has not been to the final since 2005. Highlands beat the Cougars 78-75 Feb. 6 in Fort Thomas.
Highlands avenged an 82-80 loss to St. Henry Jan. 9, while Conner had fallen by 20 to Dixie on Jan. 12.
Highlands has won 16 straight since losing to Beechwood Feb. 12.
“We haven’t accomplished our ultimate goal and we feel like we have more in the tank,” Highlands head coach Kevin Listerman said. “It’s nice to have the day off in between to prep and take a deep breath. Nothing is given to you this time of year. You have to go out and earn it.”
Vinson, a Northern Kentucky University signee and the Ninth Region’s Mr. Basketball finalist, as well as the NKAC Division II Player of the Year, led the way with 20 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.
All four other starters joined him in double figures. Sophomore Zach Barth posted 16 points and 7-of-10 shooting. Junior William Herald scored 13 with three 3-pointers. Junior forward Oliver Harris scored 13 with five rebounds and six assists. Senior Luke Muller posted 12 points with two timely 3-pointers.
Muller, Highlands’ all-time leading 3-point shooter with more than 200 in his career, was a known quantity after averaging nearly 17 points each of the last two seasons. The other three have stepped up their production over last season, combining for 32 points per game.
That added experience has led to 16 wins in a row for the Bluebirds, including a whopping 104 points in the first round against Ryle. Highlands had averaged 88 points per game on offense in the previous 15 wins, scoring 79 or more in each one.
Muller only took six shots tonight but scored 12 points and the 6-foot-5 forward had primary guarding on St. Henry center Cody Teten, who is much beefier than he.
Vinson was the focus of the St. Henry defense and shot 5-of-18 from the floor, but he had three 3-point plays in the first half.
Herald started off fast after the Crusaders took a 7-2 lead. He hit a pair of 3-pointers to give Highlands an 8-7 lead and added another one later in the quarter. Vinson had eight points in the quarter. St. Henry senior Wyatt Vieth had six, and Highlands led 21-19.
Highlands started the second quarter on an 8-0 run. Barth had a steal, which led to a fast-break layup for him, then he hit a 3-pointer.
Herald scored a fast-break layup after a turnover, and Vinson drove in for a dunk to put Highlands up 12 at 33-21. St. Henry scored the next six points, but Harris finished the half with an and-one basket and a three-point play to put the Bluebirds up 36-27 at the half.
Harris carried the Bluebirds in the third quarter, scoring eight of the team’s first 11 points, around a three by Muller. Barth added a 3-pointer and Highlands led by 14 at 50-36. Muller hit another trey, and Harris added a basket to give him 10 points in the quarter, and Highlands led 55-44 heading into the final frame.
St. Henry rallied in the fourth. A basket by senior guard Cory Shea cut the lead to eight at 59-51.
Vinson responded with a tough layup after a spin move, and it was 61-51. Senior Gabe Ryan hit a three for St. Henry, and it was 61-54 with four minutes to go.
Barth responded with three quick layups within a minute of game time to push the lead to 13 at 67-54.
“Zach Barth made some timely baskets in the second half,” Listerman said. “Luke Muller, for a guy who’s used to getting a lot of shots, he was very patient in getting the right shot. Those guys are so unselfish. That’s the best part of our team. They don’t care who’s shooting and getting the accolades. It’s all about winning and making the right plays at the right time. We have a great group of kids who do things the right way and they’re a lot of fun to coach.”
A three by St. Henry senior Ryan Butler pulled the Crusaders within six at 69-63. On Highlands’ next possession, Butler tried to steal the ball and eventually forced a tie-up while St. Henry fans were lobbying for a Highlands foul that would have sent Butler to the line. St. Henry got possession, though, but turned it over, and Vinson put it away at the free-throw line.
Vieth, St. Henry’s leading scorer, ended with 22 points, five assists and four rebounds and three steals in his final game.
Shea scored 15 points with four assists, four rebounds and four steals. Bessler had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Vieth and Shea were all-tourney picks.
St. Henry has 10 seniors. Five started and three came off the bench Wednesday. The Crusaders end their careers as two-time All “A” Classic state champions.
“We told them it would be a 32-minute battle, and it was,” Listerman said. “Their (10) seniors and all their wins, and two (All ‘A’) state championships over there. We knew they weren’t going to quit and we told the kids they had to stay focused and stay in the moment. They did a very good job of that.”
ST. HENRY: Bessler 5 3 14, Butler 1 1 4, Teten 3 0 6, Shea 6 1 15, Vieth 9 3 22, Ryan 2 0 5, Ravenscraft 1 0 2.
HIGHLANDS: Barth 7 0 16, Muller 4 2 12, Harris 5 3 13, Vinson 5 10 20, Herald 5 0 13.
Conner 71, Dixie Heights 54
The Cougars shot their way past the Colonels in the nightcap, hitting 12-of-23 3-pointers, nine of them in the first half. Conner (17-6) avenged a 70-50 win by Dixie (21-6) on Jan. 12.
Sophomore Landen Hamilton and senior Spencer Couzins each had four 3-pointers in the first half and five in the game, and finished with 19 points apiece. Hamilton posted seven rebounds. Senior guard Riley Osterbur had 14 points, six rebounds and five assists for Conner.
Conner limited Dixie to 40 percent shooting. Senior Jason Summe led Dixie with 16 points, and Kiernan Geraci posted 13 with eight rebounds. Summe and Geraci were all-tourney picks.
Conner led 35-22 at halftime, scoring 27 of its points from behind the 3-point arc on nine makes.
Couzins hit four of them and Hamilton four of his own, including one at the halftime buzzer to give Conner a 13-point lead.
Conner began the second half with a 10-4 run, including the fifth trey by both Couzins and Hamilton, and a basket by Landen Cook.
CONNER: Skiles 2 3 7, Hamilton 5 4 19, Osterbur 4 5 14, Lohr 1 0 3, Couzins 6 2 19, Cook 2 0 4, Campbell 1 1 3, Castrucci 0 2 2.
DIXIE HEIGHTS: Flynn 2 0 6, Geraci 6 1 13, Wogenstahl 4 1 9, Summe 5 5 16, Snelling 3 0 8, Landers 1 0 2.
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