LEXINGTON — Elliott County’s dream ended a game short of the Sweet Sixteen finals.

Athletic and disciplined Covington Holmes fended off the Lions down the stretch for a

67-57 semifinal victory Saturday afternoon in front of a Rupp Arena crowd of 16,419.

Talented, rangy and quick, Holmes advanced to the championship game for the second consecutive year by winning a matchup of powerhouse teams that entered the contest with a combined 66-4 record.



“We’ve played a lot of athletic teams, like in the tournament at Myrtle Beach, but Holmes is very good,’’ said Elliott County coach Rick Mays. “They would be a hard out for anybody.’’

The Bulldogs broke a school record with their 35th win against only two losses.

“This is a special group,’’ said Holmes coach David Henley. “To be there (title game) two years in a row is unbelievable. Last year, the feeling was more euphoria. This year is nothing but business.’’

The Bulldogs looked the part in moving on to meet Louisville Central on Saturday night for the grand prize.

Led by 6-foot-7 Elijah Pittman and 6-4 Ricardo Johnson, Holmes attacked the basket and also ripped down 13 offensive rebounds that led to 17 second-chance points.

“It all came down to who wanted it more,’’ said Pittman, who posted game highs of 23 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots. “We wanted it more.’’

Pittman showed his quickness and spring by blocking an early 3-point attempt by Elliott County’s 6-7 Timmy Knipp.

Elliott led 8-2 at the time, aided by a Timmy Knipp 3-pointer on the game’s opening possession. But Holmes brushed aside the deficit by outscoring the Lions 22-5 for an 11-point lead with five minutes remaining in the first half.

Ricardo Johnson started the surge with three consecutive baskets and Pittman went down the middle for a dunk. Johnson added a 3-pointer, giving him nine points in the quarter on his way to 17 for the game.

“Their athleticism takes them a long way,’’ said Elliott County guard Evan Faulkner.

Elliott County made several bids to catch the Bulldogs. On seven different occasions — six in the second half — the Lions closed to within either four or five points.

“We made mini-runs, not the type we can usually have like 14-2,’’ Ethan Faulkner said. “We could get four and five points, but not really the big run for the knockout punch we needed.’’

After Holmes guard JaMel Riley went the length of the court for a layup with just over three minutes remaining to give the Bulldogs their biggest lead at 59-47, Elliott County made one last charge.

Timmy Knipp answered with a 3-pointer, and Ethan Faulkner hit two tough hanging shots. After Pittman made two free throws for Holmes, Jonathan Ferguson’s 3-pointer made it 61-57 with 1:45 left. But Elliott County failed to score again.

“We cut it down to four and I thought we were there,’’ Ethan Faulkner said. “We turned it over two possessions in a row. That was big. I thought we had them, not necessarily on the ropes, but momentum was on our side. We just couldn’t get over the hump.’’

Henley said he talked to his team at halftime about maintaining composure and handling adversity.

“It’s the nature of the beast at the State Tournament for people to get behind a mountain team with 200-some students,’’ he said. “People want to see stories like that. I told the guys if (Elliott County) makes a run, don’t be surprised if 15,000 people get on their side. I told them they could handle it with fight or flight. I thought they handled it with toughness.’’

Overall, Henley pointed to his team’s defense against the state’s highest-scoring team.

“They average what, 82 or 84 points?’’ he said. “I don’t think it takes a rocket scientist to tell you that was the difference.’’

Holmes also didn’t make many mistakes. The Bulldogs limited their turnovers to eight after committing a tournament-high 45 in double-digit wins over Christian County and Lexington Catholic.

Elliott County (32-3) lost to a Kentucky opponent for only the second time this season. The Lions avenged the other one by defeating Shelby Valley in Friday’s quarterfinals.

Ethan Faulkner finished with 19 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Lions in their first state semifinal game. Ferguson scored 15 points and Timmy Knipp had 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots.

“I thought we played hard,’’ Mays said. “That’s something I’ve said all along. We had some turnovers in key situations. When we made mistakes, they made us pay.’’

A large Elliott County following stood and cheered afterwards as Ethan Faulkner and Timmy Knipp accepted All-Tournament honors and the Lions received their semifinal awards.

“Those guys are great basketball players,’’ Henley said. “They are smart, and it’s been a joy to watch them play. When I was shaking hands with them, they look you straight in the eye. The two Faulkners and Ferguson, those are class, class kids there.’’

ROCKY STANLEY can be reached at rstanley@

dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2671.