The final game of the 2023-24 LaRosa's Holiday Hardwood Classic was an absolute thriller that saw Covington Catholic take down Lakota East 60-59.
The game was truly a tale of two halves. The first half saw Covington Catholic jump out to a 13-10 lead after the first quarter, and CovCath extended that lead heading into the halftime break, heading back to the locker room with a 33-21 advantage.
Lakota East ratcheted up their defense in the second half and added a few tough buckets, cutting the deficit slightly in the third quarter before a raucous fourth quarter saw the Thunderhawks knot up the score briefly. Ultimately, Covington Catholic was able to narrowly hold on and win.
Trey Perry was named the LaRosa's Player of the Game despite his teams loss. Perry scored 25 points to lead all scorers, adding five assists and four steals. Derek Jackson pitched in 16 points for Lakota East, while CovCath was led by Athens McGillis (19 points) and Cash Harney (14 points, six assists). Caden Miller was a menace on the defensive end for CovCath, blocking seven shots to go along with seven rebounds and six points.