LEXINGTON – The Warren Central boys’ basketball team’s season ended in the same fashion as last season with a 70-52 loss to Scott County in the semifinals of the Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet Sixteen on Saturday at Rupp Arena.

With most of the same cast from last season, Scott County used a strong effort on the offensive glass and a stingy defense to build a commanding 17-point halftime lead and cruised from there.

It’s the second straight year Warren Central’s season has ended in the semifinals to Scott County.

“I couldn’t be prouder of a group of kids,” Warren Central coach William Unseld said. “We fought about as much as we could fight. That’s a heckuva basketball team. (Michael) Moreno is a special player. Give them credit, you are talking about one of the best teams – if not the best team – in the state of Kentucky and we hung in there. We just couldn’t make shots.”

Scott County (35-3) used a strong fourth quarter to pull away in last year’s 75-46 victory. The Cardinals picked up where they left off in the rematch with a huge first half that Warren Central (22-12) was unable to recover from.

Scott County hit six of its first 10 shots to build a 15-6 advantage less than five minutes in, but missed its next six shots to allow the Dragons to cut the deficit to 17-12 after one.

Glenn Covington opened the second with a pair of 3-pointers to push the margin back to nine, then used a 10-0 run to make the score 33-16 with 3:15 left in the half. Antonio Barbee scored four straight to trim the deficit to 13, but the Cardinals scored the final four points to take a 37-20 halftime lead.

The Cardinals forced 11 turnovers, leading to 12 points. Scott County also had nine offensive rebounds in the first half, scoring eight second-chance points.

Warren Central scored the first five points in the second half to get within 12, but was unable to get any closer. Covington hit back-to-back 3s to fuel an 8-0 spurt that made the score 45-25.

The Cardinals’ lead was still 20 heading into the fourth quarter, with the Dragons unable to mount a serious comeback in the final eight minutes.

“I thought our defense was really good and we got off to a good start,” Scott County coach Billy Hicks said. “Warren Central had an uphill battle the whole time. Third game in three days on that college floor, it is tough to fight that uphill battle. It’s so much better when you are ahead.

“Warren Central, watching them on tape and watching them play last night, gosh I have all the respect in the world for them. They are a really quick, tough basketball team – tough kids. We are happy to win the game.”

Moreno, who had a team-high 15 points in last year’s win, finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds.

“He’s my favorite player in the senior class,” Unseld said. “I’m not saying he is the most talented, but he is my favorite player in the senior class of Kentucky.

“Playing against him twice and watching him, how he carries himself, he just goes to work and is a positive guy. He has 25 and 10. He’s an unbelievable kid.”

Covington added 16 points and Diablo Stewart finished with 15 points for Scott County.

Dre Boyd led the Dragons with 13 points and six rebounds, while Barbee and Kobe Brents added nine points each.

“I’m going to miss these kids,” Unseld said. “I am always honest with my kids. I told them (in the locker room) that we lost to a better team. I’m going to miss coaching them and I am going to miss being around them.

“We just lost to a better team. That’s a special team, a senior-laden team. These kids are special to me. They are special to our school, special to our program and they are going to be special in life.”

Boyd and Tayshaun Bibb were named to the all-tournament team.

“Just to end this here, the last Saturday of the high school season, we have to be proud of that,” Bibb said. “We’ve got to accept that because a lot of people didn’t expect us to make it out (of the District 14 tournament) and here we are in the Final Four in back-to-back years. We’ve got to accept that and be proud of that.”

WCHS 12 8 13 19 – 52

SCHS 17 20 16 17 – 70

WC – Boyd 13, Brents 9, Barbee 9, Barber 7, Bibb 5, Muleka 4, Pillow 3, Horn 2.

SC – Moreno 25, Covington 16, Stewart 15, Long 4, Williams 4, Harris 3, Fluker 2, Hamilton 1.{&end}