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LEXINGTON, Ky. – Cooper head coach Tim Sullivan said his team would need to make shots to have a chance to win against Great Crossing and its 7-foot center, Malachi Moreno.
It didn't work out, as the Jaguars had a rough night offensively and were outrebounded by 16 against the bigger Warhawks as they saw their season end Friday night at Rupp Arena.
Cooper fell 49-36 to Great Crossing in the state quarterfinals of the UK HealthCare Kentucky High School Athletic Association Boys Basketball Sweet 16.
Cooper finished with a 24-6 record. Great Crossing (33-4) moves on to Saturday’s semifinals against Montgomery County.
“Hats off to Great Crossing,” Sullivan said. “God, they’re good. We did everything we could and we fought, but we got beat tonight.”
Moreno, named Kentucky Mr. Basketball earlier this month, did not dominate offensively. But his seven blocked shots and ability to alter shots consistently caused trouble for Cooper.
Moreno, a Kentucky Wildcats signee playing on his future home floor at Rupp Arena, finished with 13 points and 16 rebounds. Moreno’s presence led to a tough night for the Jaguars offensively.
Cooper shot 29.2 percent for the game, 14 of 48. A lot of those misses were in the lane and the Jaguars rarely got clean looks inside against Moreno.
Great Crossing head coach Steve Page said the seven blocks were crucial since those would have been worth 14 points for the Jaguars if they had made all those shots.
“I thought we did a tremendous job defending,” Page said. “Cooper is known for how well they defend and I thought we matched that this evening. We handled the ball. I’m proud of my kids, the way they played.”
Sullivan and his staff had 24 hours to prepare for Moreno and they knew it was a tall task.
“Our kids are fearless,” Sullivan said. “We talked about playing smart. You can’t mimic that, and you can’t show that at any level. If you had a week to prepare for that, I don’t know if you could prepare for that because he’s so long. He’s so good with his timing and he’s always roaming. He’s a special young man.”
Cooper guarded Moreno in the first half with its tallest starter, 6-foot-6 sophomore Roman Combs, fronting him in the post.
The Jaguars also played some matchup zone at times.
Sullivan didn’t give any updates on his job status. In January, Cooper principal Mike Wilson asked him to resign after the season.
Sullivan was very emotional after the game, holding back tears during the postgame ceremonies and early on in the press conference.
“I can’t put into words how proud I am,” Sullivan said. “How proud I am to be their coach, how proud I am to be a part of their program. I‘m in love with these guys and I don’t want it to end. It’s a special group.”
Cooper players, especially their seniors, have been openly supporting their coach down the stretch of this season.
“No matter what happens, at the end of the day, we’re all family no matter what,” senior Andy Johnson said. “Everywhere he goes, we’re going to follow him. If he stays, if he goes, we’re all going to be around him. We lost tonight, but the fight in this group, the togetherness, the family in this group is second to none and special. We understand how to communicate, and we all love each other.”
Cooper started the season 5-4 with a tough schedule but won 19 of its last 21 games. The Jaguars were undefeated against Ninth Region foes this season.
“We came into the year, people are looking at us like we were going to be out in the semis of the region,” senior Isaac Brown said. “We kind of shocked a lot of people. We were undefeated in the region, which is really hard to do in our region. We played with a chip on our shoulder.
“We played a really good team (tonight). Stuff happens. The sun will rise tomorrow. At the end of the day, we won and we’re going to wake up tomorrow, understand that what we did for this school, this program and the community was a good thing.”
Said Sullivan: “You talk about leaving a legacy. The legacy that they left is bigger than a state quarterfinal Sweet 16. They learned how to be men. They learned how to grow up and make decisions for themselves and stand up for what they believe in. (They) made themselves a family that has a bond now that will last a lifetime. That’s all we can ask for is for kids to grow up and make decisions, and come together for a greater purpose.”
Cooper trailed 14-12 after one quarter. Isaac Brown had 6 points on three baskets. Jaidan Combs and Andy Johnson each made a 3-pointer.
Cooper struggled from the field in the second quarter, shooting only 2 of 11, making them 7 of 21 (33.3 percent) for the first half.
The Jaguars only allowed the Warhawks to score eight of their own, and stayed within six despite being outrebounded by 12, 18-6, in the half.
Julienne Knuckles came off the bench to score a late basket to pull Cooper within that 6-point margin.
Moreno had 7 points, going 3 of 5 from the floor with 6 rebounds and 3 blocks. Gage Richardson scored 5 in the half and Vince Dawson 4.
The third quarter started inauspiciously for the Jaguars. The Warhawks’ first possession saw them get three offensive rebounds, with Moreno finishing on the fourth chance to put GC up eight at 24-16.
Johnson scored the first six Jaguars points, making a jumper to pull Cooper within four at 26-22.
Vince Dawson scored a pair of baskets to make the lead eight against at 30-22. The second basket came in transition after Cooper’s first turnover of the game.
Dawson, a Morehead State signee averaging 18 points per game, led GC with 20 points and 4 assists, and had 11 rebounds as well.
Cooper’s second turnover of the game happened when Travanti Cooper came off the bench, stole a pass at midcourt, and raced the other way for a layup. Dawson scored in the lane to complete a 6-0 run and put GC up 11 at 36-25. Brown hit a 3-pointer to pull Cooper within eight at 36-28. He had two triples in the period, but Cooper only shot 4 of 12 as a team.
In the fourth quarter, Brown made a basket to pull Cooper within six at 36-30. He led Cooper with 14 points and 3 assists.
Cooper didn’t score again until 1:22 to go, when Johnson hit a 3-pointer for his final points in Jaguar uniform. He scored 12 points on the night.
Before that, Cooper missed seven shots in a row and committed four turnovers. Moreno blocked three of those shots.
Cooper’s final basket was by Tim Sullivan’s son, Elijah, a sophomore on the team.
Cooper: R. Combs 1 0 2, Brown 6 0 14, J. Combs 1 0 3, Johnson 4 2 12, Knuckles 1 0 2, Sullivan 1 1 3. Totals: 14 3 36.
Great Crossing: Holman 1 0 2, Dawson 7 6 20, Mason 1 0 2, Richardson 2 1 6, Moreno 5 3 13, Orem 1 2 4, Cooper 1 0 2. Totals: 18 12 49.
Halftime – GC 22-16; 3-pointers – C 5 (Brown 2, Johnson 2, J. Combs); GC 1 (Richardson).
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cooper boys basketball bows out in Sweet 16 state quarterfinals
Continue reading...
It didn't work out, as the Jaguars had a rough night offensively and were outrebounded by 16 against the bigger Warhawks as they saw their season end Friday night at Rupp Arena.
Cooper fell 49-36 to Great Crossing in the state quarterfinals of the UK HealthCare Kentucky High School Athletic Association Boys Basketball Sweet 16.
You must be registered for see images attach
Cooper finished with a 24-6 record. Great Crossing (33-4) moves on to Saturday’s semifinals against Montgomery County.
“Hats off to Great Crossing,” Sullivan said. “God, they’re good. We did everything we could and we fought, but we got beat tonight.”
Mr. Basketball Malachi Moreno was hard to handle for the Jaguars
Moreno, named Kentucky Mr. Basketball earlier this month, did not dominate offensively. But his seven blocked shots and ability to alter shots consistently caused trouble for Cooper.
Moreno, a Kentucky Wildcats signee playing on his future home floor at Rupp Arena, finished with 13 points and 16 rebounds. Moreno’s presence led to a tough night for the Jaguars offensively.
Cooper shot 29.2 percent for the game, 14 of 48. A lot of those misses were in the lane and the Jaguars rarely got clean looks inside against Moreno.
You must be registered for see images attach
Great Crossing head coach Steve Page said the seven blocks were crucial since those would have been worth 14 points for the Jaguars if they had made all those shots.
“I thought we did a tremendous job defending,” Page said. “Cooper is known for how well they defend and I thought we matched that this evening. We handled the ball. I’m proud of my kids, the way they played.”
Sullivan and his staff had 24 hours to prepare for Moreno and they knew it was a tall task.
You must be registered for see images attach
“Our kids are fearless,” Sullivan said. “We talked about playing smart. You can’t mimic that, and you can’t show that at any level. If you had a week to prepare for that, I don’t know if you could prepare for that because he’s so long. He’s so good with his timing and he’s always roaming. He’s a special young man.”
Cooper guarded Moreno in the first half with its tallest starter, 6-foot-6 sophomore Roman Combs, fronting him in the post.
The Jaguars also played some matchup zone at times.
Was this the last game for Tim Sullivan as Cooper head coach?
Sullivan didn’t give any updates on his job status. In January, Cooper principal Mike Wilson asked him to resign after the season.
Sullivan was very emotional after the game, holding back tears during the postgame ceremonies and early on in the press conference.
You must be registered for see images attach
“I can’t put into words how proud I am,” Sullivan said. “How proud I am to be their coach, how proud I am to be a part of their program. I‘m in love with these guys and I don’t want it to end. It’s a special group.”
Cooper players, especially their seniors, have been openly supporting their coach down the stretch of this season.
“No matter what happens, at the end of the day, we’re all family no matter what,” senior Andy Johnson said. “Everywhere he goes, we’re going to follow him. If he stays, if he goes, we’re all going to be around him. We lost tonight, but the fight in this group, the togetherness, the family in this group is second to none and special. We understand how to communicate, and we all love each other.”
The Jaguars made it to Rupp Arena after a rough start to the season
Cooper started the season 5-4 with a tough schedule but won 19 of its last 21 games. The Jaguars were undefeated against Ninth Region foes this season.
“We came into the year, people are looking at us like we were going to be out in the semis of the region,” senior Isaac Brown said. “We kind of shocked a lot of people. We were undefeated in the region, which is really hard to do in our region. We played with a chip on our shoulder.
You must be registered for see images
“We played a really good team (tonight). Stuff happens. The sun will rise tomorrow. At the end of the day, we won and we’re going to wake up tomorrow, understand that what we did for this school, this program and the community was a good thing.”
Said Sullivan: “You talk about leaving a legacy. The legacy that they left is bigger than a state quarterfinal Sweet 16. They learned how to be men. They learned how to grow up and make decisions for themselves and stand up for what they believe in. (They) made themselves a family that has a bond now that will last a lifetime. That’s all we can ask for is for kids to grow up and make decisions, and come together for a greater purpose.”
Here are the first half highlights for Cooper’s game against Great Crossing in the Sweet 16 quarterfinals
Cooper trailed 14-12 after one quarter. Isaac Brown had 6 points on three baskets. Jaidan Combs and Andy Johnson each made a 3-pointer.
Cooper struggled from the field in the second quarter, shooting only 2 of 11, making them 7 of 21 (33.3 percent) for the first half.
You must be registered for see images attach
The Jaguars only allowed the Warhawks to score eight of their own, and stayed within six despite being outrebounded by 12, 18-6, in the half.
Julienne Knuckles came off the bench to score a late basket to pull Cooper within that 6-point margin.
Moreno had 7 points, going 3 of 5 from the floor with 6 rebounds and 3 blocks. Gage Richardson scored 5 in the half and Vince Dawson 4.
Here are the second half highlights for Cooper’s game against Great Crossing in the Sweet 16 quarterfinals
The third quarter started inauspiciously for the Jaguars. The Warhawks’ first possession saw them get three offensive rebounds, with Moreno finishing on the fourth chance to put GC up eight at 24-16.
Johnson scored the first six Jaguars points, making a jumper to pull Cooper within four at 26-22.
You must be registered for see images attach
Vince Dawson scored a pair of baskets to make the lead eight against at 30-22. The second basket came in transition after Cooper’s first turnover of the game.
Dawson, a Morehead State signee averaging 18 points per game, led GC with 20 points and 4 assists, and had 11 rebounds as well.
Cooper’s second turnover of the game happened when Travanti Cooper came off the bench, stole a pass at midcourt, and raced the other way for a layup. Dawson scored in the lane to complete a 6-0 run and put GC up 11 at 36-25. Brown hit a 3-pointer to pull Cooper within eight at 36-28. He had two triples in the period, but Cooper only shot 4 of 12 as a team.
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In the fourth quarter, Brown made a basket to pull Cooper within six at 36-30. He led Cooper with 14 points and 3 assists.
Cooper didn’t score again until 1:22 to go, when Johnson hit a 3-pointer for his final points in Jaguar uniform. He scored 12 points on the night.
Before that, Cooper missed seven shots in a row and committed four turnovers. Moreno blocked three of those shots.
Cooper’s final basket was by Tim Sullivan’s son, Elijah, a sophomore on the team.
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Great Crossing 49, Cooper 36
Cooper: R. Combs 1 0 2, Brown 6 0 14, J. Combs 1 0 3, Johnson 4 2 12, Knuckles 1 0 2, Sullivan 1 1 3. Totals: 14 3 36.
Great Crossing: Holman 1 0 2, Dawson 7 6 20, Mason 1 0 2, Richardson 2 1 6, Moreno 5 3 13, Orem 1 2 4, Cooper 1 0 2. Totals: 18 12 49.
Halftime – GC 22-16; 3-pointers – C 5 (Brown 2, Johnson 2, J. Combs); GC 1 (Richardson).
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cooper boys basketball bows out in Sweet 16 state quarterfinals
Continue reading...
