2012 Toyota Classic 5th Place Game - Covington Catholic vs Lafayette Recap

COVINGTON CATHOLIC 65, LAFAYETTE 59

Covington Catholic hit nine consecutive free throws in the final three minutes and 22 of 23 for the entire game to earn the fifth place trophy in the 2012 Toyota Classic, topping  the Generals of Lafayette, 65-59, in Saturday morning action.

Ahead by four points, 52-48, with 4:17 to play, the Colonels held off a Generals comeback as sophomore guard Nick Ruthsatz made seven straight from the line before missing his last attempt and junior guard Nick Fredrick hit two more to keep Lafayette at bay despite the efforts of Generals Nick Trisko, Tranard Chester and Jackson Davis, each of whom scored in the final moments to keep Lafayette within striking distance. 

Each team attempted 23 free throws.  But while the Colonels missed one, the Generals failed of 14 of their 23 free throws.

Lafayette outrebounded Catholic, 37-35, and outscored the Colonels, 28-24, in the paint.

The Colonels defense forced 22 Lafayette turnovers, resulting in 18 points, while 17 Catholic miscues led to 17 Lafayette points.

Ruthsatz led all scorers with 26 points, including 15 of 16 from the line, his team’s only miss of the game coming with seconds to play.  Fredrick added 10 to become the only other double figure scorer for Catholic whose 96% free throw rate countered a chilly 38% from the field.

Davis paced the Generals with a 16-point, 15-rebound double-double while Trisko and Charles Sweat- Washington added 13 points each.