Saturday, December 11, 1999
Newport Central Catholic 66, Boone Co. 50
BY GEORGE RORRER
Enquirer contributor
NEWPORT — Ronny Dawn's line in the box score for Newport Central Catholic's 66-50 victory over Boone County on Friday night reads about the way it does for most games: five field goals, including three from 3-point range, and 19 points.
What it doesn't show is how hard the preseason Northern Kentucky Player of the Year had to work to achieve it.
Boone County's top defender, Robbie Flick, was assigned to hound Dawn wherever he went, and Flick did it well.
Flick got help when he needed it, both from double-teaming teammates and from fresh players off the bench. Dawn had few clean looks at the basket and seldom had room to relax when he had the ball.
That was the Rebels' goal.
“We wanted to make him earn everything he got,” Boone County coach Jay Mulcahy said. “I don't think he got too many cheap ones.”
Ron Dawn, Ronny's father and the NCC coach, agreed that Boone County (0-2) had done a good job.
“They played a tight man-to-man and denied Ronny the ball everywhere on the court,” Ron Dawn said. “We know we can expect that. Sometimes it's even worse than that.
“I guess it's probably good that they're doing it so early in the season. It makes us see what our other guys can do.”
A lot, it turned out.
Dawn scored 10 of his points in the first quarter, helping NCC (2-0) to a 15-11 lead. He was scoreless in the second quarter, but Tony Bacigalupo, Danny Mayer and Vince Bonhaus picked up the load and the Thoroughbreds led at halftime.
Seth Lynn hit three of his four 3-point goals in the third period as NCC pulled away.
“We knew he could shoot,” Mulcahy said. “It seemed like every time we'd close the gap, he'd make that little stopper.”
NCC's biggest lead was 19 points early in the fourth period. Boone crept to within 11 with 2:15 to play, but Bonhaus was 6-of-6 on free-throw attempts in the final 1:16 to squelch the rally.
Bonhaus finished with 14 points, Lynn added 12 and Bacigalupo 11. Center Mike Faehr led Boone County with 15 points, Charlie Robbins scored 11 and Flick added 10.
Faehr suffered an ankle injury late in the game and Mulcahy said his status for tonight's home game against St. Henry is questionable.
BOONE COUNTY (50) — Seever 3 0 9, Brown 011, Faehr 5 5 15, Flick 3 4 10, Tombragel 1 0 2, Rollins 3 2 11, Noble 1 0 2. Totals: 16 12 50.
NEWPORT CENTRAL CATHOLIC (66) — Bonhaus 3 8 14, Bacigalupo 4 2 11, R.Dawn 5 0 19, Myers 1 0 2, Lynn 4 0 12, Mayer 2 0 4, Meyer 1 2 4. Totals: 20 12 66.
Boone County ....... 11 11 10 18—50
Newport CC ....... 15 13 21 17—66
Three-point goals: BC-Seever 3, Rollins 3; NCC-Bacigalupo 1, R.Dawn 3, Lynn 4. Records: BC 0-2. NCC 2-0.
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