With their scheduled meeting in the City of Hopkinsville Toyota Classic wiped out due to weather, University Heights Academy and Marion, IL just switched venues to get the game played on Saturday, with the Blazers prevailing 46-34 in a physical, defensive battle.
The Blazers win their third in four outings to move to 5-7 with a visit from Dawson Springs scheduled for Tuesday.
Neither team reached double figures in either of the first two quarters, with the Blazers leading by a basket after the 1st, and closing the half with a steal and layup by Quinton Quarles to take a 17-14 advantage into the halftime break.
The Blazer defense held the Wildcats to only three points in the 3rd quarter to build a double-digit lead. Preston Thomas converted a 3-point play and Quarles followed with a layup to put UHA in front 28-17 with a quarter to play.
Marion opened on a 7-1 run to get within five at 29-24 on a pullup jumper by Trevor Jackson, but two technical fouls on the Wildcats in the next minute proved to be decisive.
The Blazers went 5/8 at the free-throw line and got a jumper in the lane from Cam Brown to push the margin to twelve with five minutes to play. UHA led by as many as 14 after a Thomas layup with :42 to go.
University Heights 9 8 11 18 — 46
Marion, IL 7 7 3 17 — 34
University Heights (5-7) — Grubbs 11, Quarles 8, Northington 6, Thomas 5, Wallace 5, Walton 5, C. Brown 3, Hauret 2, J. Brown 1
Marion, IL (7-8) — Newsom 10, Bardo 8, Jackson 6, Noelle 5, Pratt 3, O’Keefe 2
