Struggling to knock down shots early, Waryn Ebelhar and Luke Beickman took it upon themselves to carry the offensive load – combining for 40 points to lead Owensboro Catholic to a 62-53 win over Beechwood in the opening round of the All-A. While neither was able to get going from deep, the duo willed themselves to the free throw line with ease – shooting 12-13 from the charity stripe.
“Luke and Waryn continued to be so big for us,” Owensboro Catholic head coach Tim Riley said. “Waryn is a warrior. That boy went down and hit himself and I was scared to death. He bounces up and he’s just a fighting type of guy.”
The first quarter was highlighted by missed shots and turnovers on each side, with the Aces taking a 10-6 lead in the second quarter. In the second quarter, the Aces offense began to wake up, going on a 7-3 run. Calling a timeout, Beechwood responded by cutting the lead to 24-20 entering halftime.
In the second half, the Aces’ defense wore down Beechwood, allowing their offense to take over. After shooting 11-25 from the field in the first half, Owensboro Catholic shot 11-22 down the stretch. The Aces never found themselves from behind the arc, shooting 4-18 from deep, but they were able to hold off the Tigers by finishing 14-17 from the line.
“In the second half I think they were tired,” Riley said. “Their third-leading scorer was sick and that hurt them a bunch. He is a starter, and he didn’t start. Honestly, sometimes these games go your way. Their bad luck was our good luck.”
Beickman led all scorers with 22 points and added five rebounds, two steals, and an assist. Ebelhar added 18 points, five rebounds, and one assist, while Solly Smith finished with 11 points, six rebounds, one steal, and one assist.
Next up for the Aces, they will play Sayre in the second round at 6:30 pm this evening. They will have their hands full with the trio of Chase Parker, Brock Coffman, and Jaxswon Howard who combined for 58 points in their first-round win.
In other All-A action, Lyon County kicked off the tournament by beating Martin County 72-53. Brady Kirk scored a team-high 19 points, while Nolan Coffman and Isaac Drew combined for 34 of the team’s 53 rebounds.
Pineville beat Bishop Brossart 75-44 behind Sawyer Thompson’s 19 points and 17 rebounds. They will play Lyon County in the quarterfinals.
Sayre cruised to a 71-49 win over Louisville Holy Cross thanks to Brock Coffman’s double-double of 26 points and 14 rebounds. They will play the Aces this evening at 6:30 pm.
Hazard Green held off Green County 54-53 behind Evin Eversole’s 22 points. They will play Clinton County who beat Whitefield Academy 69-36.
Dansville Christian Academy beat Elliot County 45-23, behind a suffocating defense that held the Lions to shooting a measly 26.5% from the field. Walton Verona beat Ballard Memorial 64-45 to set up a quarterfinal match with Dansville Christian Academy.
