A year after getting knocked out of the 2nd Region All A Classic in a tough two-point loss at Lyon County, the University Heights Academy Blazers took the first step back towards another All A regional title with a 70-36 win over the Dawson Springs Panthers in Blazer Gym.
The Blazers came firing out of the gate, scoring the first 18 points of the game. Dawson Springs would not break into the scoring column until 3:40 to go in the opening quarter when Rett Nieters scored to cut the lead to 18-2. The Blazers would hold a 27-6 lead when the opening quarter came to an end.
UHA opened the second quarter with a 10-2 run to push the lead out to 37-8. But much like the first quarter, the Blazers opened hot and then let the foot off the gas pedal a bit. The Panthers would outscore the Blazers over the final minutes of the half to trim the lead to 42-15 at the half.
A big story in the opening half was UHA’s 3-point shooting. The Blazers knocked down seven shots from behind the arc in the first sixteen minutes. Lemar Northington and Quinton Quarles each bagged two long shots in the first half of play.
The third quarter was a bit of a reverse for the Blazers. UHA opened the half a little slow, but then found their stride again. With the lead still at 27 at 49-22, the Blazers ripped off a 13-2 run to extend the lead to 62-24 and bring the running clock into play for the rest of the contest. The third quarter would end with the Blazers up 62-28.
Reserves saw most of the action for both teams over the final eight minutes as UHA pushed on out to the final 34 point margin. The biggest roars of the night came on a pair of back-to-back dunks down the stretch from Bryson Northington.
Quinton Quarles paced the effort for the Blazers, finishing with 15 points. Bryson Northington added 11, while Lamar Northington also hit double figures with 10.
Rett Nieters was the top scorer for Dawson Springs with 8 points, all in the first half. Dylan Skinner added seven for the Panthers, all coming in the second half of play.
With the win, which takes the Blazers to 6-7 on the season, UHA moves into Friday night’s first semifinal contest. The semifinals, and Saturday night’s championship game, will be played at University Heights.
DSHS — 6 9 13 8 – 36
UHA — 27 15 20 8 – 70
Dawson Springs (1-9) Nieters 8, Skinner 7, Johnston 6, Plunkette 4, Blue 3, Mitchell 3, Whalen 2, Fain 2, Pace 1
UHA (6-7) – Quarles 15, B. Northington 11, L. Northington 10, Wallace 8, Grubbs 8, J. Brown 5, C. Brown 4, Walton 4, Luckey 3, Bell 2
