The Christian County Colonels picked up their first district championship since 2016 Thursday night. The Colonels hit University Heights with an 18-0 run early in the 4th quarter to rip open a game that had been tight from the time the teams stepped on the court, and ran off with an 81-59 win in Colonel Gym
The intensity was cranked up from the very beginning. Both teams knocked down threes in the opening minute to start things off at 3-3. The flow of the game in the opening quarter went from one side to the other. The game was tied four times in the first eight minutes and there were four lead changes. The Colonels were able to close out the 1st quarter on a 7-0 run to take a 19-14 lead.
The pattern did not change one iota in the 2nd quarter. High energy and intensity, and a game that went back and forth for another eight minutes. UHA opened on a 5-0 spurt to tie the game at 19-19. Over the course of the 2nd quarter, there were four more tires and five more lead changes. The quarter ended with the Blazers holding a tenuous 35-34 lead.
K.J. Crump and D.J. Quarles had big halves for the Blazers, Crump with 13 points and Quarles with 12. Mikeon Mathis had a solid half for Christian County finishing the first sixteen minutes with 12 points. Both teams were also able to escape the first half without any serious foul problems.
The first half was played in an 8 point range, with Christian County’s biggest lead at 5 points, while the Blazers biggest lead was three.
The first half of play was so much fun, there was no need to change things coming out of the locker room to start the second half. Neither team could manage more than a 3 point lead in the third quarter, as it went back and forth and back and forth for the entire eight minutes. The quarter saw five more ties and nine more lead changes. Mikeon Mathis’ basket in the final seconds gave Christian County a 54-53 lead headed into the final quarter.
Then, the game took a dramatic turn. After a Will Bryan basket put UHA in front 55-54, Christian County hit the Blazers with a run, and it was not just any ole run, but a run that knocked the Blazers out of a chance at the title. Christian County scored 18 unanswered to seize control of the game at 72-55. Eight of those points came from big man Olajuwon White, who was dominant in the paint most of the night, but especially coming down the stretch.
By the time Amani McGee made two free throws to end the run, the game was effectively over. Christian County would go on to close out the 22 point victory, and lay claim to the district championship. The win marked the first time since 1993 that Christian County had defeated UHA in the 8th District championship game.
Mikeon Mathis led the way for Christian County with 24 points. Olajuwon White was a force in the paint, ending the game with 15 points. Kobe Dillard and Stephen Bussell each added 13 points for the Colonels.
The Blazers were led by K.J. Crump, who finished with 16 points. Crump was held scoreless in the final quarter. Amani McGee added 14 points. D.J. Quarles finished the night with 12 points. Like Crump, the Colonel defense held Quarles scoreless over the final eight minutes.
With the win, the Colonels improve to 12-18 on the season, UHA falls to 15-13. The Blazers come up just short in their bid for a third consecutive 8th District titel. Both teams will advance on to the Boys 2nd Region Tournament, which will get underway Wednesday at Hopkinsville High School.
The draw for the region tournament will take place Saturday morning at 10:00am.
SCORE BY QUARTER
UHA (15-12) 14 21 18 6 – 59
CCHS (11-18) 19 15 20 27 – 81
INDIVIDUAL SCORING
UHA: Crump 16, McGee 14, Quarles 12, Bryan 7, Wood 4, Shouse 2, Hall 2, Brown 2
CCHS: Dillard 13, Chambers 7, Mathis 24, Leavell 6, Vaughn 4, Bussell 13, White 15
