COVINGTON — The Arcanum Trojans closed out the Buccaneers Holiday Classic with a 57–44 victory over the Covington BUCCS in the tournament’s consolation game, using efficient free-throw shooting and steady post play to pull away down the stretch.
Arcanum converted 13-of-15 attempts at the charity stripe (86.6 percent), a margin that ultimately matched the Trojans’ 13-point advantage in the non-conference contest.
“In tight games like this, when a team like Covington decides to go on runs, and we have the ability to play strong around the rim and get to the free-throw line, seeing the ball go through there at the stripe is important,” said Arcanum head coach Kevin Brackman. “Most of the time, that’s the difference in close games.”
The Trojans were without starting point guard and floor leader Jace Mote, who was sidelined with an illness. In his absence, Bishop Cartwright logged heavy minutes and helped keep Arcanum composed.
“Jace unfortunately woke up this morning with a stomach bug,” Brackman said. “What Jace brings and everything he does well, it was important that our guard play stayed steady, and Bishop did an excellent job. He logged a lot of minutes, and we didn’t fall off, so that’s a big credit to him. He’s in tune with everything we do in practice.”
The opening quarter was tight throughout, with both teams finding their rhythm after a slow start. Arcanum edged the period 15–14 behind eight points from Cameron Ball.
The Trojans created separation in the second quarter as Matthew McCans caught fire, knocking down two three-pointers and a basket for eight points in the frame. Arcanum outscored Covington 18–7 in the quarter to take a 33–21 lead into halftime.
Arcanum continued to control the game in the third period, paced by seven points from Ben Hamilton. The Trojans claimed the quarter 12–9 to extend their lead to 45–30 heading into the final eight minutes.
Covington battled throughout the fourth quarter, but Arcanum answered at the free-throw line, going 7-of-8 in the period. Hamilton added five more points, including a three-pointer from the top of the key, as the Trojans closed out the win.
Arcanum scored 31 points around the rim, led by Ball’s game-high 20 points and Hamilton’s 11.
“We got a lot of scoring out of a lot of guys,” Brackman said. “We tried to make it an emphasis today to establish our post play and play out of the post. I feel like we did that. Our two guys down low took a lot of shots, and kind of were the anchor tonight.”
Covington, which fell to 0–9 on the season, received strong play from Brant Angle and continued to compete despite the record.
“Their record is not a representation of the team they are or the job Coach Carey is doing,” Brackman said. “He’s a great guy, and his kids played hard. At one point, it was a 14-point game, and they got it down to a two-possession game before we were able to stretch it back out. The Angle kid is really, really tough.”
With the final game of 2025 complete, Brackman reflected on the challenges of a holiday tournament and looked ahead to the new year.
“These last two days have been really long,” he said. “You’re asking kids to come in for shootarounds around Christmas and New Year’s, then play back-to-back games with no prep. It’s hard, but that’s what you’ve got to do. We’ll take the day off tomorrow, then we’ve got a really exciting one against Mississinawa at home.”
Brackman also praised Covington Athletic Director Ashley Naff and the Buccaneers’ staff for hosting the event.
“The tournament makes for really long days, but Ashley does a great job,” Brackman said. “The staff behind the scenes here makes sure everybody is accommodated well, and things run really smoothly.”
Cameron Ball led Arcanum and all scorers with 20 points.
BOX SCORE:
ARCANUM 57, COVINGTON 44
ARCANUM – C. Ball 20, M. McCans 12, B. Hamilton 11, C. Weiss 7, B. Cartwright 5 – TOTALS 16 13-15 4 57
COVINGTON – B. Angle 19, L. Cassel 10, B. Denson 5, K. Welborn 4, R. Robbins 3, N. Carnes 3 – TOTALS 11 7-9 5 44
3-POINTERS
Arcanum 4 (M. McCans 2, C. Weiss 1, B. Hamilton 1)
Covington 5 (B. Angle 3, N. Carnes 1, B. Denson 1)
SCORE by QUARTERS
15-18-12-12 57 Arcanum
14-07-09-14 44 Covington
