Covington Catholic holds off Lyon County, claims spot in Sweet 16 semis
The No. 3 Covington Catholic Colonels (30-4) held off a late rally from No. 22 Lyon County (29-7) to advance to the semifinals of the UK Healthcare Boy’s Sweet 16 once again. The game was closer than many expected, thanks in large part to Lyon County star sophomore Travis Perry, who scored eight of his 21 points in the final two minutes. But the Colonels responded to every punch he threw, including a pair of clutch free throws by junior Evan Ipsaro that iced a 57-55 win — and CovCath’s first semifinal appearance since 2018, when current Kentucky guard CJ Fredrick led the Colonels to the state championship.
The Colonels were led by a trio of double-figure scorers; junior sniper Kascyl McGillis led the way with 17 on 5-11 shooting from deep, while sophomore guard Brady Hussey and senior center Mitchell Rylee chipped in 13 and 16, respectively. They shot 38% (8-21) from three-point range as a team, compared to a meager 2-11 mark from Lyon County.
Ipsaro, the team’s leading scorer at nearly 22 points-per-game on the year, was held to just eight points. But when the moment came, he was ready.
“You knew he wasn’t going to miss those,” said Covington Catholic coach Scott Ruthsatz, referencing Ipsaro’s late free throws. “We had full confidence.”
The Colonels led most of the way, building a seven-point advantage at halftime behind McGillis’ hot shooting. But Lyon County battled back in the third quarter, mounting a 10-4 run to tie the game just ahead of the break.
The Lyons would go on to take the lead early in the fourth on the back of senior Jackson Shoulders, who collected 14 points and 13 boards in his final game. He battled against Rylee and the Colonels frontcourt all night long, helping Lyon County secure an unlikely victory in the rebounding margin, 31-26.
The two teams traded buckets throughout the final quarter, with CovCath surging back to take the lead on a Hussey trey. The Lyons would tie it again at 50 on a corner three by Perry — their first make from deep all game — but again, Hussey was there to answer with another three of his own. Lyon County didn’t get back within two until the final 35 seconds, when Perry hit another contested triple that kept them in the game.
But the Colonels were able to burn all but nine seconds off the clock on the ensuing possession while the Lyons fouled repeatedly, not yet in the bonus. Ultimately they sent Ipsaro to the line, and he gave them the cushion they needed to escape.
The loss capped a brilliant 29-7 season for the Lyons, who won their first Sweet 16 game in school history in the opening round.
“Any season that ends in Rupp Arena is a good season,” Lyon County coach Ryan Perry said in the postgame presser. “We couldn’t be any more proud of these guys.”
Perry’s son, Travis, capped a memorable Sweet 16 run with 47 points in two games. A varsity starter since 7th grade, he’ll embark on his junior campaign next year with a real shot at chasing down the state scoring record.
Covington Catholic is set to face either Murray or Warren Central in Saturday’s semifinals, with a chance to reach their third state championship in nine years on the line. The Colonels won it all under Ruthsatz in both 2014 and 2018.
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