LEXINGTON — The journey began in Eddyville, 10 years ago, when Travis Perry, Jack Reddick and Brady Shoulders first became basketball teammates as second graders with the West Kentucky Wildcats.

It ended Saturday night with a state championship.

Perry hit five 3-pointers and scored 27 points to lead Lyon County to a 67-58 victory over Harlan County in the final of the UK Healthcare Sweet 16 in front of 13,568 fans at Rupp Arena.

Perry, Reddick and Shoulders had dreamed about this moment for years. They reached their first Sweet 16 as sophomores, losing to Covington Catholic in the quarterfinals. Last year’s Sweet 16 run also ended in the quarterfinals with a loss to George Rogers Clark.

But on Saturday, the Lyons leaders went out as champions.

“It’s not very often that people get to obtain dreams,” said Ryan Perry, Lyon County’s coach and Travis’ father. “These guys had this as a dream way back a lot of years ago, and they all sacrificed a lot of stuff for it. What we did was not easy.”

It was a fitting finish to a record-setting career for Travis Perry, the University of Kentucky signee and Mr. Basketball winner. Last year he passed King Kelly Coleman as the state’s all-time leading scorer. He finished his career with 5,481 points and was named Sweet 16 MVP.

“This is something I’ve always wanted,” Travis Perry said. “I’ve wanted it for myself to be a state champion. But more than that I’ve wanted it for my dad and (Shoulders and Reddick) and the guys in our locker room. There’s so much that goes into winning a state championship, especially at a school with 277 people in it. It takes a lot to go right.”

Reddick, who has committed to Florida Gulf Coast, finished with 16 points. Shoulders, who recently decommitted from Tennessee-Martin, added 15 points and seven rebounds.

No. 4-ranked Lyon County (36-3) finished 10 of 19 from 3-point range.

Maddox Huff scored 22 points and South Carolina signee Trent Noah added 17 to lead No. 12 Harlan County (34-5), which was the first Eastern Kentucky school to reach the state final since 2011, when Rowan County dropped a 65-63 double-overtime decision to Christian County.

Harlan County trailed 28-14 midway through the second quarter but battled back and tied the score at 45 entering the fourth.

An 8-0 run gave Lyon County control. Shoulders hit two free throws, Perry sank two shots and Lukas Breedlove capped it with a dunk to give the Lyons a 58-50 edge with 3:30 left.

The Lyons hit 7 of 9 shots in the fourth quarter.

“They spread you out and have so many kids who can handle and dribble and shoot and pass the ball well,” said Black Bears coach Kyle Jones as he fought back tears during the postgame news conference. “Those guys are just an unbelievable basketball team.”

And they’ll take a championship trophy back to Eddyville, where the town practically shut down for the week as fans traveled to Lexington.

Shoulders said the community has embraced the team.

“(Basketball) is what they live and die for,” he said. “I don’t know what they’re going to do after tonight. They’re really going to be bored tomorrow and for the rest of the year.”

HARLAN CO. 10      20     15      13 – 58

LYON CO.         18      18      9       22 – 67

Harlan County (34-5) – Caleb Johnson 2, Jaycee Carter 5, Reggie Cottrell 5, Trent Noah 17, Maddox Huff 22, Brody Napier 7.

Lyon County (36-3) – Lukas Breedlove 4, Bray Kirk 3, Brady Shoulders 15, Jack Reddick 16, Travis Perry 27, Isaac Defew 2.

MVP – Travis Perry (Lyon County).

All-tournament team – Brady Shoulders, Jack Reddick (Lyon County); Trent Noah, Maddox Huff, Reggie Cottrell (Harlan County); Kyran Tilley, Christian Doerr (Evangel Christian); Gage Richardson, Malachi Moreno (Great Crossing); Drae Vasser (Trinity); Broc Sorgenfrei (Campbell County); Connor Loy (Adair County); Aden Barnett (Magoffin County).

More Sweet 16: How Lyon County and Harlan County advanced to the state final

Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Follow on X @kyhighs.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: KHSAA Sweet 16: Lyon County defeats Harlan County for 1st state crown