If all six of the 8th District games involving Hopkinsville, Christian County, and UHA are as fun and exciting as the first one, this could be a very interesting season indeed. The UHA Blazers used a 10-0 run over the end of the first half and the beginning of the second to build themselves a cushion, and then held off a valiant effort from the Hopkinsville Tigers for a 88-81 win at Blazer Gym.
Hopkinsville opened the game on a 7-1 run. However, the Blazers answered with a 6-0 run of their own to tie the game at 7-7 and the first half battle was on. For the rest of the 1st quarter the two teams went back and forth, with the quarter coming to an end knotted up at 17-17.
In the second quarter, the back and forth affair continued, with Hoptown and UHA being tied at 21, 30, and 31. UHA used free throws to push the lead out to 34-31, a lead that they would not relinquish for the rest of the game. The Blazers were leading 36-35, when they scored the last seven points of the half to extend the lead to 43-35 at the break.
KyKy Tandy drained a three to open the second half to finish the 10-0 run and put the Blazers ahead 46-35. Hopkinsville could get no closer than five points for the rest of the third quarter, as Tandy began to assert himself for the Blazers in the second half to help keep the Tigers at arms length. The quarter ended with UHA up by 7, at 61-54.
UHA opened the final quarter on a 10-2 spurt to give themselves some breathing room at 71-56. Hopkinsville tried on a couple of occasions to make one last rally, but playing without four normal starters began to show, as the Tigers looked just a little leg weary down the stretch. Two three pointers in the final 10 seconds got the Tigers to within the final 7 point margin.
The Blazers got a monster night from KyKy Tandy, who lead all scorers with 42 points, in front of college representatives from Oklahoma and Iowa State. K.J. Crump added 12, while Kwun Dorsey chipped in 11.
Hopkinsville was led by a stellar effort from James Nicholas, who scored 25 before fouling out late in the game. Jacarius Burks added 19, while Alijah Watts and Bryce Smith scored 11 each.
The Blazers improved to 2-1, and will take on West Creek Friday in the Toyota of Hopkinsville Classic. Hopkinsville drops to 2-2 and will take on Bowling Green for the second time in five games in another Friday game in the Toyota of Hopkinsville Classic.
