Ronnie Lyons was a scoring machine for the Royals

Ronnie Lyons was a 5' 10" sharpshooting, high scoring guard for the Mason County Royals from 1967 to 1970. What Lyons lacked in size he made up with quickness and uncanny shooting skills. Lyons poured in the points from long range (much longer than the current three-point arc) when there was no three-point shot. Crowds packed The Fieldhouse to watch Lyons and the Royals play. Lyons played at the University of Kentucky and was on Adolph Rupp's final team as a sophomore. Lyons was also a baseball star at Mason County. He was selected by the New York Mets in the 38th round of the 1970 First-Year Player Draft. Here are some of his basketball career highlights at Mason County and UK:


Mason County

• Scored 2,621 career points (second on the Royals' alltime scoring list)
• Holds the school-record for points scored as a senior (1,216);
• Holds the single-season school record for scoring average (33.8 ppg);
• Scored a school-record 60 points vs. Bourbon County in 1970;
• Scored 40 or more points in a game 11 times;
• Scored 30 or more points in a game 32 times;
• In one eight-game stretch of his senior season, Lyons had games of 45, 45, 26, 44, 47, 38, 45 and 60 points;
• Scored 25 points in the second quarter of the 1970 district championship game vs. Maysville and ended up with 48 points;
• Named to the Herald-Leader and Courier-Journal All-State Teams;
• Named a Prep All-American by Coach and Athlete Magazine;
• Played for the 1970 Kentucky All-Stars in the annual series vs. Indiana;
• Played in the Dapper Dan Classic in Pennyslvania
• Was the first Mason County player to have his jersey retired;

University of Kentucky

• Scored 786 career points;
• Scored a career-high 28 points vs. Mississippi State his junior season;
• Played all 50 minutes and scored 19 points in a 90-89 double overtime loss to Indiana his sophomore season;
• Won the Freshman Leadership Award in 1971;
• Led the Wildcats in free throw shooting in the 1971-72 season ( 87.5% on 70-of-80);
• Was the team's third-leading scorer in the 1971-72 season (13.2 ppg)
• Had the fewest turnovers in both the 1972-73 and 1973-74 seasons;
• Won the 110 Percent Award in 1973;
• Named Outstanding Senior in 1974;

(Photo from a Mason County Yearbook)