The UHA Blazers got double-digit scoring out of each of their big three, and steadily built the lead each quarter to win 64-49 and claim their second-straight 8th-District title. The Blazers have won back-to-back titles only once previously, during the 1994 and ’95 seasons.
Both teams will play in next week’s 2nd Region tournament at Madisonville-North Hopkins. The Blazers beat the Colonels in last season’s district title game, before knocking them off again to claim the regional championship.
Both teams led in the first quarter and the game was tied three times, before a Fred Tandy basket off a pass from Olajuwon White pulled the Colonels to within 1 with :45 left. However, Kyky Tandy closed the quarter with a dunk for a 16-13 Blazer lead.
Drew McGowan nailed a 3-pointer to stretch the lead to 6, followed by a steal and score by KJ Crump and a 3-point play by TaQuan Hollowell for the Blazers’ first double-digit cushion at 28-17. Fred Tandy drove and scored to cut the margin to 6, but 2 free throws by Hollowell and a steal and dunk by Kyky Tandy gave the Blazers a 33-23 advantage at the break.
Eric Brody scored 7 points over 2 minutes to again cut the margin to 6, but Hollowell answered with 4 and DJ Quarles scored on a layup to put the Blazers up 46-35 at the end of three.
DaMikeon Mathis hit a jumper and Brody converted a 3-point play to get back within 6 with less than a minute played in the fourth, but Hollowell responded with 4 of his 8 fourth-quarter points to restore the double-digit edge and force a Colonel timeout. Brody hit 1 of 2 free throws for a 50-43 score, but that would be as close at the Colonels could get, with the Blazers closing on a 14-6 run to seal the win.
Hollowell led all scorers with 24, including 12-14 at the free throw line. McGowan and Tandy also reached double figures with 15 and 14, respectively.
Brody scored 15 in the second half to lead the Colonels with 17, followed by Mathis with 15.
