North Laurel junior guard Reed Sheppard recorded a triple-double, but his Jaguars fell to Covington Catholic, 79-67, in the championship game of the King of the Bluegrass tournament in Louisville on Tuesday night.
Sheppard finished the game with 25 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and four steals, and he was named the most valuable player of the annual showcase.
The University of Kentucky commitment scored a total of 80 points in the semifinal and quarterfinal games of the tournament, which brought together several of the top teams in the state, along with some top competition outside of Kentucky. Covington Catholic came into the season as the No. 3-ranked team in the commonwealth.
Next up for Sheppard and North Laurel will be a trip to Lexington for the Traditional Bank Holiday Classic, which will be played Dec. 26-30 at Lexington Catholic. The Jaguars will first face Louisville Trinity at 7 p.m. Sunday.
Sheppard is UK’s lone commitment in the 2023 class. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 17 overall junior in the country.
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