Playing their opening game of the Paducah Tilghman Christmas Tournament on Friday night, the UHA Blazers got off to a quick start against Calloway County, but the Lakers never trailed after the second quarter on the way to a 77-62 victory.
The loss snaps a two-game win streak for the Blazers, leaving them at 2-5 overall with a Saturday morning meeting with Cairo, IL preceding an evening match-up with the host Blue Tornado.
KJ Crump started hot with 12 first-quarter points, with his layup followed by a jumper in the lane by Will Bryan giving the Blazers an 11-3 advantage with just over three minutes played. However, Chandler Steele closed the quarter with an and-1 followed by a 3-pointer to pull the Lakers to within a bucket at 20-18.
Calloway surged in front with an 8-0 run to start the second quarter and take a 26-20 edge. Bryan came up with a steal and layup with 1:16 left in the half to get the Blazers within 4, but a Steele 3-pointer capped a 6-0 spurt to give the Lakers a 39-29 halftime advantage.
After Ki Franklin scored to open the third, DJ Quarles answered with 5 points in a 10-0 push by the Blazers to trim the margin to 2. UHA’s Amani McGee connected on a jumper in the lane with :30 left, but Evan Garrison scored on a lay-in for a 54-49 Calloway lead after three.
The Blazers only managed 3 points over the first six minutes of the final quarter and the Lakers put the game away behind 11 points from Garrison, including 7-8 at the free throw line. The lead swelled to 18 with just over two minutes to play, before Bryan scored 10-straight for UHA for the final 15-point deficit.
Bryan’s 23 points led UHA, followed by Crump with 17, 15 in the first half, and McGee with 13. The Blazers were outscored by 18 at the charity stripe, shooting just 4-9 while the Lakers were 22-27.
Steele finished with 20, Garrison followed with 18, Ki Franklin scored 15 and Cade Butler added 14.
