After three quarters the University Heights Academy Blazers had the unbeaten Bowling Green Purples right where they wanted them. However, there is a reason that the Purples are unbeaten and viewed as a state tournament contender.
Bowling Green rallied from a 42-39 deficit after the third to turn back a gritty Blazer effort 62-56 in an opening-round game of the First United Bank Holiday Classic at Madisonille-North Hopkins.
The Purples opened the final quarter with a 6-0 run to take a 45-42 lead, but the Blazers responded right back with a 5-0 spurt of their own to go back up 47-45. But Bowling Green was not going to let this one get away.
With a strong physical presence down in the paint and forcing some untimely turnovers from the Blazers, Bowling Green used a late 10-2 run to take control of the game for good at 57-49. From there, the Purples would ride it out for the final six-point margin.
The game had been competitive from the very start. Both teams were in lockdown defense mode early, with Bowling Green leading 9-8 after the opening quarter. With the combo of Mason Ritter and Elijah Starks giving the Blazers problems down inside, the Purples were able to run the lead out to 20-12 in the second. The Blazers though would not go away that quickly.
Elijah Walton and Quinton Quarles led an effort that saw the Blazers close to within 29-25 at the half.
After being shut out in the first half, Lemar Northington got going for UHA as the second half got underway. The Blazers would outscore Bowling Green 17-10 in the third quarter as the fought back to take the 42-39 lead after three.
University Heights was led by Lemar Northington with 17 points, all of them coming after halftime. Quinton Quarles added 11. Elijah Walton, who battled foul problems going against Bowling Green’s size down inside, ended up with 10 points for the Blazers.
Elijah Starks was the leading scorer for Bowling Green with 15 points. Mason Ritter added 14 while M.J. Wardlow also hit double-figures with 13.
UHA drops to 3-3 with the loss, while Bowling Green improves to 8-0 on the season.
UHA – 8 17 17 14 — 56
BGHS – 9 20 10 23 — 62
University Heights – Northington 17, Quarles 11, Walton 10, Grubbs 7, J. Brown 4, Baker 4, Hauret 3
Bowling Green – E. Starks 15, Ritter 14, M.J. Wardlow 13, Griffin 6, Lightning 4, Bailey 3, D. Starks 3, J. Wardlow 2
