If the first round and semifinals of the boys Ninth Region tournament were any indication of what the finals would bring, fans at Tuesday night's championship were in for a treat.
Cooper and Newport entered the championship after dramatic wins against Covington Catholic and Lloyd, respectively. The final was just as exciting, with neither team leading by more than 4 points in the second half.
After Gavin Lutz made two free throws to tie the game at 42 with a minute and 6 seconds left, Newport held the ball for the final minute before Jabari Covington hit a fadeaway jump shot with 2.5 seconds left to send the Wildcats to Rupp Arena for the first time since 2010.
The numbers don't lie
Similar to Newport's game against Lloyd, the Wildcats were going to have to grind out a win if they were to beat Cooper. That was evidenced by 64 total possessions throughout the game. Both teams made the most of their time with the ball as Cooper finished with 1.35 points per possession and Newport averaged 1.33 points per possession.
At this point of the season, games are won by exploiting the other team's weaknesses. The Jaguars lost the turnover battle in each of their last two games and turned it over eight times in the championship. Newport capitalized with 9 points off of those errors. Cooper also shot 42% from 3-point range in their first two tournament games, but just 33% in the championship.
Just as important as exposing weaknesses is continuing to play to your own strengths. Newport committed fewer fouls (12 to 10), scored more points in the paint (12 to 8), had more defensive stops (19 to 13) and had a higher assist rate (47.4% to 46.7%).
From an individual standpoint, Newport shut down Jaguars' leading scorer Yamil Rondon. The sophomore had 12 points in the first quarter alone, but just 4 points the rest of the game. Meanwhile, tournament MVP Marquez Miller scored 9 of his game-high 16 points in the second half.
Shining stars
Andy Johnson, Cooper: He scored his 9 points in the second half to keep the Jaguars in the game, stepping up while Rondon was being hounded on defense.
Marquez Miller, Newport: The Wildcats' lone senior finished with 16 points on a perfect shooting night (7-of-7 from the field). The final play was supposed to be run for him, but he helped clear the paint to give Covington room to make the final shot.
What they're saying
"I knew it was going to go in. It was either gonna be me or him, and he took it. I knew he was gonna hit it."
Marquez Miller on Jabari Covington's game-winning shot
"We switched Marquez on him. We slowed him down a little bit. We knew he was gonna get his shots off and get his points, but we just had to lock in defensively."
Covington on how Newport slowed down Yamil Rondon in the second half
"When you get to tournament time, and you've got good guards, you gotta be able to grind it out and make it a chess match."
Newport head coach Rod Snapp on Newport's style of play
"The way that we just kept punching back and the way that we didn't quit ... that tells me that we have winners. I have a group of winners in that locker room."
Cooper head coach Tim Sullivan on his team's response to adversity this season.
Senior salute
The Jaguars bid adieu to a senior class that endured a lion's share of adversity on their way to the Ninth Region championship this year.
Caleb Brooks was the team's best player coming into the year but tore his ACL just seven games into the season. He finishes his career with 556 points and 297 rebounds in 72 games, leading the team in both categories during his junior season.
Gavin Lutz was second on the team in scoring this year at 9-7 points per game and led the team with 139 total rebounds. For his career, he scored 491 points and grabbed 285 rebounds in 82 games.
Trevor Ollier played 52 of his 62 career games as a junior and senior, scoring 326 points and pulling down 235 rebounds. He led the team in 3-point shooting this year at 35.5%.
After being cut from the team as a junior, Nmamdi Azaeju returned to play a vital role on defense, often matching up against the opposition's best player. He scored 111 career points and grabbed 77 rebounds in 37 total games.
Drew Schilling appeared in 74 games over three years, scoring 187 points to go along with 167 rebounds.
Finally, Cole Oates scored 22 points and secured 15 rebounds in 37 appearances over three years.
What's next
Newport will face Second Region champion Lyon County in the first round of the Sweet 16 at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, March 16.
They will face a tall task when they arrive in Lexington. Lyons' leading scorer Travis Perry is second in the state at 31.9 points per game. He is also 20 points shy of Kelly Coleman's KHSAA career scoring record of 4,337 points.
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