LEXINGTON — After returning back to his hotel room Friday night following Covington Catholic's win over Lyon County, Colonel guard Evan Ipsaro knew his health was on the clock. He'd injured his right ankle just minutes before, and the pain was too much to stand on. 

That didn't matter. A trip to the state championship was on the line, and in 15 hours, there was no way he wouldn't be on the court. Just to make it there, Ipsaro says he iced and elevated his ankle before a team trainer used a "Game-Ready" cold compression machine on him. 

After using the Game-Ready for five 20-minute intervals throughout the night, Ipsaro wrapped his ankle to get some sleep. The following morning, he had to get two shots in his foot and rewrap the ankle, just so he could step on Rupp Arena's floor. 

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The pain was still there. Aching and nagging him with every step, but with a trip to the state championship on the line, Ipsaro had to try. There was no way he'd watch his season crumble from the bench. 

On a bum ankle, Ipsaro fought to keep his season alive. It was almost enough. His 30-point performance wowed, but it wasn't enough as the Colonels (30-5) fell to Warren Central 61-58. 

Ipsaro had a chance to save the Colonels' season and push the game to overtime in the closing seconds, but the ball bounced off the left side of the rim. The Dragons (29-3) advanced to the championship game and will face George Rogers Clark at 7 p.m.

"I knew that being the leader of the team that I had to take that shot," Ipsaro said. "And that's nothing against Kascyl [McGillis] or Brady [Hussey], but I just feel like that's my role to take that shot." 

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Covington Catholic wouldn't of even been in the game without Ipsaro. 

The Bellarmine recruit scored the Colonels' first six points of the game and continued his tear the rest of the half.

By the intermission, Ipsaro had 22 points on 7-for-11 shooting, with three rebounds and a lone turnover. He scored at will — whether it was a jumper from the key or the a drive to the basket.

Heading into the locker room up by nine, the Colonels hoped that Ipsaro's breakout game would either continue or open things up for other guys, but it didn't take long in the third quarter to tell that wasn't the case. 

Ipsaro says that he doesn't feel like Warren Central played him any differently in the second half, but he did lose a smidge of confidence after starting the quarter with a turnover and four misses out of his first five shots. 

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"I mean they played really good defense, but I think most of that was on me," Ipsaro said. 

Ipsaro carried the weight of the loss on his shoulders following the game. His selection to the Sweet 16 all-tournament team wasn't enough to make him feel like he had let the Colonels down.

Covington Catholic (30-5) : Evan Ipsaro 30, Kascyl McGillis 6, Mitchell Rylee 4, Brady Hussey 10, Chandler Starks 6, Ayden Jones 2 

Warren Central (29-3) : Damarion Walkup 5 , Izayiah Villafuerte 3, Kade Unseld 8, Chappelle Whitney 21, Omari Glover 8, Jaiden Lawrence 15, Dalton Farley 1