Photo - Cindy Dougherty
It felt like a regional championship game and then some. There was one of the greatest high school dunks in Kentucky history. In fact, it was so special, they had to stop the game because the crowd and the benches had spilled onto the court in reaction. There was intensity galore, as two teams went up and down the floor, laying it all on the line. There was a large and loud crowd that definitely got its money’s worth. And, there were big plays from one end of the court to the other.
In what might be the first of four possible meetings between the two teams, UHA rallied from a five point 4th quarter deficit to pick up a big 62-56 win at Hopkinsville Tuesday night.
Both teams came ready to roll from the start. Hopkinsville opened red hot, jumping out to a 12-2 lead, and holding the Blazers to one basket in the first six minutes. That basket, however, was something else. Going down the middle of the lane, KyKy Tandy elevated to what felt like the room, and slammed one home over Hopkinsville’s 7-2 center Jamarion Sharp. Tandy was so high and so forceful on the slam that the rim caught Tandy on the chin, creating a gash that would cause him problems the rest of the night.
To Hopkinsville’s credit they responded to the jam with 10 unanswered points to take the 12-2 lead. Late in the quarter, Tandy hit a pair of deep threes to trim the lead to 15-8 after the opening quarter.
A basket by Jacarius Burks and a three by Don Victor extended the lead to 20-8 early in the second quarter. Then, in less than a three minute span, UHA unleashed a furious rally. Two threes from Tandy and one from McGowan keyed a 15-0 Blazer run, putting UHA up 23-20. With the Blazers up 25-23, Hoptown went on a jam fest. Dunks by Tefrell Toliver, Jamarion Sharp, and then Toliver again, put Hopkinsville back in the lead 29-25. The Tigers would lead 29-27 at the half.
The Tigers hit the Blazers with a 7-0 run to open the third quarter to take a 36-27 lead, and for a moment, it looked like UHA was teetering on the brink. Trailing 41-33, UHA got a Tandy steal and dunk, and a Tandy 3, cutting the lead three and it was game on again. The two teams ended the third with Hoptown clinging to a three point lead at 45-42.
With a pair of baskets from Jamarion Sharp, Hopkinsville inched the lead out to 49-44. Then, UHA hit Hopkinsville with the knockout punch. UHA scored 9 unanswered to take a 53-49 lead. A quick rally from Hopkinsville tied the game at 53-53 with under three minutes to go. The Blazers came up with another 9-0 run to put the game away.
The big basket in the run came with the Blazers holding a two point lead at 55-53. KyKy Tandy had left the game to have his chin attended to and was waiting for a dead ball to get back in the game, when Drew McGowan came open in the left corned and drilled a three that essentially shut the door on the Tigers. James Nicholas would add a three for Hoptown right before the buzzer to get to the final score of 62-56.
Bloody chin and all, Tandy was sensational for UHA, coming up with 33 points in the contest. Drew McGowan had 11, while KJ Crump added 10.
James Nicholas led Hopkinsville with 16 points. Don Victor added 12. Jamarion Sharp had a very solid performance for the Tigers with 11.
The win improves UHA to 5-0 overall and 1-0 in the 8th District. Hopkinsville falls to 4-2 overall, and 1-1 in district play.
