It was another wild Tuesday night. The Lebanon Warriors were making a rare visit to The Mill. The Firecrackers were there, which guaranteed a packed house for the first half at least, and… the Knights came out stone cold.
Friday the Knights resumed their run to the conference title by taking out the Amelia Barons, 56 to 39, to take their record to 10-4, 6-1 Cardinal.
This was an Amelia team, remember, that had surprised Loveland and Wilmington, two teams that had beaten the Knights. But despite hanging close in the early stages, the Barons never looked like a match for the Knights.
Tuesday night The Mill was packed. Responding to warnings of SRO, parents arrived early. Knights students poured in from the corners and formed a White Out. The Black Hole, Mason’s notorious student section, was busy creating their version of the Dark Side. The Pulse-Journal was there.
The Enquirer, of course, was covering the GCL. But that’s another story.
It was Kings vs. Mason, and all that goes with it.
PULSE JOURNAL STORY | STATS | STANDINGS | SLIDE SHOW (Courtesy of the Pulse-Journal)
The Community Press recently published an article on the special relationship between Coach Mike Stevens and the Knights’ leading scorer… his son Matt.
Friday the Knights faced a dangerous Walnut Hills squad that came in with a game plan which they implemented almost to perfection. The result was a game that, though lacking in inspiration, stayed close till the last two minutes. In the end the Knights finally pulled away to win by a ridiculously deceiving 50 to 36 score.
STATS | SLIDE SHOW (Courtesy of Jenny Haralamous)
Tuesday the Knights traveled to Mt. Healthy to take on the Fighting Owls at Coach Grunkemeyer’s alma mater. It was a mid-week, non-conference game and felt like it… the student sections on both sides were non-existent, the game was played to the sound of squeaking shoes, and the only question was whether the Knights, clearly the stronger team, would take care of business. They did, polishing off the Owls 66 to 48.
The game started slowly, with the clock refusing to take a breath in the first quarter. Late in the period the Knights jumped to an 11 to 6 lead, then stretched it to 12 at the half and never looked back.
Matt Stevens led all scorers again with 18 points. Mark Byrd had 14 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, and Derrick Harris 7 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. Danny Hagee chipped in 10 points and Aaron Gayhart 8.
Key Stat: The Knights, inspired by Coach Grunkemeyer (reigning free-throw percentage leader at Mt. Healthy), shot 15 of 22 from the line compared to the Owls’ 4 of 5.
Friday night the Knights get back to Conference work, entertaining the always-dangerous Walnut Hills Eagles.
See you at The Mill Friday night!! GO KNIGHTS!!
Friday night, in a raucous atmosphere at The Mill, the Knights took on the Little Miami Panthers and crafted a hard-fought 58 to 39 win against a tough conference opponent.
STATS | STANDINGS | PHOTOS (Courtesy of Jenny Haralamous)
Thursday the Knights injected a little basketball into their holiday break by taking on the Jackson Ironmen. They expected to take care of business and they did, finishing their year off with a satisfying 74 to 43 victory.
This was was no contest from the beginning - the Knights sprinted out to a 16 to 2 lead and substituted freely throughout the game. Eleven players scored for the Knights, Matt Stevens leading the way with 16 points and 5 assists. Aaron Gayhart had 14 points and a whopping 12 boards, while Derrick Harris logged 11 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Read the rest of this entry »
Friday the Knights traveled to Wilmington for what they knew would be a tough conference matchup. The Knights were coming off exams and the Hurricane off a surprising loss to the Amelia Barons. The Knights built an early lead but were unable to fend off a furious Hurrican comeback, finally losing in overtime, 59 to 56.
Friday the Knights came into their game with Turpin hoping to separate themselves from the team that recent history suggests will be their primary rival for the FAVC Cardinal crown. They left The Mill with a solid victory, sole possession of first place, and some satisfying momentum heading into their important conference showdown with Wilmington next Friday.
Stats | Game Photos (Courtesy of Jenny Haralamous)
