Not only has Conner knocked off Covington Catholic, Holy Cross and Newport, who many consider three of the top four teams in the Ninth Region, they can add a top 10 team in the state to the resume too.
Mason County (23-3) came to Hebron riding a 13-game winning streak and a No. 7 ranking in the latest statewide media poll.
They left impressed and a win streak snapped after the Cougars (15-6) ran away with a 80-61 victory.
Another statement from the Cougars?
“We don’t really talk about that. I think I mentioned maybe their ranking once. It’s just more about controlling what we can control and whatever else happens and whatever else everybody wants to say and talk about is is what they want to say and talk about. We don’t really get wrapped up in it,” Cougars coach Matthew Otte said.
From about the 3:30 mark of the third on, it was all Cougars to the finish. Leading 46-44, Conner closed the frame on a 14-2 run to build a 60-46 advantage into the fourth.
Then the heady guard play the Cougars deploy continued to separate, breaking the Mason County press for layups as the Royals never got closer than 10 in the fourth. Conner finished with just five turnovers.
“Thought we did a good job of staying under control and handling the pressure. That goes to having seven seniors and four senior guards on the floor that can handle the ball,” Otte said.
Dalton Kramer led the way and despite a 10-day layoff from game action and a 14-6 hole, Conner was able to respond with a 17-16 lead after a quarter of play.
“We’ve talked about all season battling adversity. We were met with it early, we could have just stopped playing, but instead we battled back and was able to take the lead before halftime and after halftime we came out ready,” Kramer said.
Kramer finished with a game-high 26 points, also adding nine rebounds including two tip-ins for the 5-foot-11 guard.
“Just kind of happened,” Kramer said of the tip-ins.
Landen Hamilton scored 22, all of his points coming in the first three quarters as he was able to use his aggressiveness off the dribble to get Mason County in foul trouble early on. Ayden Lohr added 14, knocking down 3-of-7 from three while Daniel Campbell was the closer, scoring eight of his 12 points in the fourth.
It was the final home game for the Cougars.
“We see people doubting us sometimes and this was our last home game and we wanted to come out and prove a point,” Kramer said.
Now they’ll play four road games to close out the regular season starting with Holmes on Tuesday.
“I told the guys in the locker room that if if anything, it should hopefully get you ready for the postseason because you’re not going to drive here at all to come down the street to play. You’re going to have to go someplace else. So hopefully it gets them in that rhythm and that routine. If it works in our favor, I look like I look like a genius and if it doesn’t, then it was bad scheduling on my part,” Otte said.
Mason County was led by Riley Mastin’s 21 points and 11 rebounds. Braylon Hamilton added 10 points, Terrell Henry with eight points and 10 rebounds. It was Mason County’s first loss since December 30, a double overtime loss to Lyon County at the Lexington Catholic Holiday Tournament.
MASON COUNTY — 16-17-13-15 — 61
CONNER — 17-17-26-20 — 80
Mason (61) – Mastin 21, Hamilton 10, Walton 9, Bierley 8, Henry 8, McClanahan 5
Conner (80) – Kramer 26, Hamilton 22, Lohr 14, Campbell 12, Fay 4, Reece 2