Apparently a week off was a good thing for the University Heights Academy Blazers. Coming off a big loss to Murray last Thursday afternoon at the All A Classic, the Blazers looked nothing like that team as they rolled to an impressive 70-51 win over Hopkinsville Friday night on the Tigers’ home court.
The Blazers used a trapping half court defense to limit the effectiveness of Tigers’ point guard Authur McKnight, and to ignite their offense, which had been limited to 33 points in their All A state tournament loss.
UHA would trail only once in the contest, that coming when K.C. Cabiness scored the first basket of the game to give Hoptown a 2-0 lead. The Blazers, with four different players scoring, ran off an 8-0 run to go up 8-2 with still 6:30 to go in the opening quarter. That lead was one UHA would not give up for the rest of the night. The Tigers would get as close as one point later in the first quarter, but could never get back to the front. The first quarter ended with the Blazers up 20-15.
Early in the second quarter, Hoptown would close to within two points at 22-20 and 24-22. D.J. Quarles and Amani McGee ignited a quick 6-0 blitz that moved the lead back out to 30-22. The Blazers would take a 32-26 lead into the locker room at the break.
UHA would deliver the knockout blow in the opening moments of the second half. With the Blazers penetrating down the lane and either shooting inside the paint, or kicking to open shooters on the outside, UHA went on an 18-3 roll that blew the lead out to 50-29, and effectively took the Tigers out of the game. The quarter ended with UHA up 52-31.
The lead would balloon out to as many as 27 points in the final quarter before the Tigers made a late run to close the gap to the final margin of 19 points.
Will Bryan led four Blazers in double figures with 17 points. Kevin Crump and Amani McGee each finished with 16 points. D.J. Quarles rounded out the double figures scorers with 14.
Hopkinsville was paced by Don Victor, who finished the night with 19 points. Javon Smith-Rudd was the only other Tiger to hit double figures with 13. Reece Jesse and K.C. Cabiness both finished with six points.
The win moves UHA to 11-9 overall and 4-0 in the district. Hopkinsville falls to 9-14, and ends district play with the #3 seed at 2-4.
