Travis Perry, Lyon County set to play in WGM Holiday Classic semis tonight

Travis Perry didn’t drop 40 points on Thursday night, but his effort was still more than enough to lead No. 3 Lyon County to the semifinals of the White, Greer & Maggard Holiday Classic in Lexington.

During the Lyons’ 82-69 win over No. 10 DeSales, Perry had what he would consider an “off” night. The four-star Kentucky commit finished with a so-so line of 24 points, seven assists, three steals, and two rebounds while playing all 32 minutes. He shot 9-20 from the field and 4-10 from beyond the arc. Five of Perry’s 24 points came immediately after DeSales cut the score to 64-60.

DeSales deserves plenty of credit though. The Colts’ defenders made life hell for Perry as best they could — constant double-teams, a man attached to his hip the moment he crossed halfcourt, etc. Perry jokingly credited his resistance band work for allowing him the energy needed to play through the pulls and grabs.

“Personally, it wasn’t a great night,” Perry told KSR after the win. “It was a little bit physical. Lot of guys flying around. We played good as a team, Jack (Reddick) and Brady (Shoulders) really stepped up. Everyone on the court really played a good game. It’s one of those games where you got a guy chasing you around holding your jersey the whole game, you gotta find a way to get other people open and then take the shots when they come. Late in the game, they started to wear down a little bit on defense. Just really proud of the way we played as a team.”

Perry didn’t stop moving for what felt like the entire game. It was the only way he could pop himself open to simply get the ball in his hands. He brushed around screens and was sprinting the baselines on offense. And once he did get the ball, double-teams were already on the way. Perry handled it like a pro though, finding his teammates for easy looks.

“My dad (Lyon County head coach Ryan Perry) was getting onto me a couple of times tonight for stopping a bit, but that’s the thing, especially when someone is guarding me like that, you’ve just gotta move,” Perry added. “Gotta figure out ways to get the defense’s head turning so we can make a pass.”

With the win, Perry and Lyon County advance to the semifinals of the WGM Holiday Classic. The Lyons will take on No. 12 Frederick Douglass at Lexington Catholic later tonight at 8:30 p.m. EST. The winner secures a spot in Saturday’s championship.

With the Kentucky Wildcats also playing tonight, head coach John Calipari won’t be able to stop by for tonight’s semis, but he was able to get a first-person look at the future Wildcat earlier this week. Calipari and several current Kentucky players stopped by Lyon County’s opening-round win over Bourbon County on Wednesday.

“It’s really neat, especially seeing not only Cal but all the guys here,” Perry said. “We went over to practice today before the game, got to talk to them a little bit. It’s really neat to have that support.”

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WGM Holiday Classic Final Four

The White, Greer & Maggard Holiday Classic semifinals will include four teams all ranked among KSR’s top 15. Our friends over at PrepSpin are broadcasting every game live, too. Click the link here to purchase a day pass for $14.95. If you want to watch the games in person at Lexington Catholic High School, you can purchase a ticket here.

Here is tonight’s schedule.

7:00 PM EST | No. 2 Lexington Catholic (11-0) vs. No. 15 Woodford County (9-1)

Lexington Catholic has still yet to lose this season after picking up wins over Taylor County (81-46) and No. 17 Washington County (93-67) to start this event. The Knights can credit their early-season success to unbelievable ball movement and solid outside shooting. Bellarmine commit Tyler Doyle is Lexington Catholic’s star with a team-high 17.8 points per game.

Meanwhile, Woodford County has just one loss this season to Frederick Douglass. The Yellow Jackets picked up a win over Harrison County (74-56) to open this event before sneaking past Cooper 60-58 in the quarterfinals. Even with five-star guard Jasper Johnson transferring to prep school, Woodford County has impressed so far. Junior guard Santonio Wade leads the way with 15.8 points per game.

8:30 PM EST | No. 3 Lyon County (10-1) vs. No. 12 Frederick Douglass (7-2)

Lyon County needs no introduction at this point. The Lyons smacked Bourbon County 97-41 in the opening round and outplayed DeSales 82-69 in the quarterfinals. Perry is the main attraction, but don’t forget fellow seniors Jack Reddick (16.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG) and Brady Shoulders 18.7 PPG, 9.8 RPG).

As for Frederick Douglass, injuries have hindered the Broncos up to this stage. Sophomore star DeMarcus Surrat continues to watch from the sidelines as he recovers from injury. However, Douglass has found ways to win, beating Calloway County 70-55 in the first round before needing a last-second shot to beat LaRue County, 69-67. Juniors Aveion Chenault (12.5 PPG) and Armelo Boone (22.9 PPG) will be the ones to watch.