LEXINGTON — David needed a slingshot to slay Goliath. On Wednesday, South Oldham needed the 3-pointer to take down Danville Christian 67-44 in the first round of the UK Healthcare KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16.
Jake Fithian scored 17 points to lead the Dragons (30-5), who will return Friday to face Jeffersontown in the quarterfinals.
South Oldham needed the outside game to be on point because it was outsized by the Warriors (29-4), who started 6-foot-10 Geu Leek Ateny and 6-foot-11 Lual Ayiei. The Dragons’ roster features only one upperclassman taller than 6-4.
The Dragons shot 51%, but it was a two-minute stretch toward the end of the first half that made the difference against the Warriors. South Oldham made five in a row to turn a 23-20 lead into an 18-point advantage.
Fithian made two of the five buckets in the decisive outburst. Julian Miles made a pair as well, and Kolton Wuchterl added the other.
Miles finished with 14 points and 10 assists. In the win, he broke Luke Morrison’s school mark for points (2,064). The senior now has 2,078 for his career. Wuchterl pitched in 13 off the bench.
That 15-0 run was preceded by an 11-0 run earlier in the period that was fueled by three treys. For the half, the Dragons shot 14 for 23 (60.9%), including 10 for 18 (55.6%) from beyond the arc.
The Dragons went 8 for 11 from deep in the second quarter. They cooled off in the second half, finishing 14 for 33 from the arc, but their lead never dipped below 15 points after halftime.
Ateny led the Warriors, who finished with 22 turnovers and shot 40.9% (18 for 44), with 14 points. Ayiei and Titus Boyd had 10 apiece.
This story will be updated.
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