You just feel like the UHA Blazers deserved to win the game. Especially after all they had gone through over the course of the night. Now, I will admit Owensboro Catholic fans probably felt the same way after their team gutted out an epic four-overtime win over the Blazers 61-60.
A win for the Aces that was not assured until Lamar Northington’s three-pointer at the horn came up just short of its desired location.
With just under five minutes to go in the third quarter, the University Heights Academy Blazers were in deep, deep trouble. They were down 30-11 and had not been able to find the basket all night long. And by not finding the basket, I mean really not finding the basket.
The Blazers had shot a stunning 7.7 percent for the first half. They hit just 2 of 26 from the field during the first two quarters. Even when their defense, which kept them within long-range shouting distance, came up with a play, the Blazers still could not get a shot to fall. And we are not talking long-range shots, these were jumpers in the lane and layups attacking the basket.
UHA trailed 16-3 after the opening quarter, where they just 1 of 16 from the floor.
Things did not change much in the second quarter. The Blazers’ shooting woes were still in full force, as UHA shot 1 of 10 in the quarter and the Aces extended the lead to 24-9. Much credit has to go to the UHA defense as in most games if you shoot 2 of 26 for a half, things are usually not nearly that competitive. The Blazers held the Aces to under 30 percent shooting in the second quarter and that would turn out to be huge as they did not let Owensboro Catholic run out of sight.
After a Gavin Grubbs basket to start the second half, Brian Griffith hit back-to-back threes to run the lead out to 30-11. And, there was no indication that the Blazers were about to find their shooting eye. To complicate things even more, leading scorer Lemar Northington was scoreless at this point in the game.
So, it was pretty bleak for Blazer fans with just under 13 minutes to go in the game. Little did the fans know what they were about to experience.
The third quarter ended at 34-18. You had a feeling the Blazers had stabilized the situation, but with a 16-point deficit, time was not their friend.
With 6:58 to go in the game, the lead was at 36-19 and the Blazers made their first move. Two steals led to two baskets and Lemar Northington knocked down a three to cut the lead to 36-26 with 3:20 left.
Northington and Griffith swapped baskets and the Aces added a pair of free throws, and the Blazers were still down 11 with 2:23 left.
Gavin Grubbs scored and came up with a steal that led to a Northington layup and the margin was down to 40-33 with 1:41 left. And now, Northington was starting to catch fire.
Another Northington three and a basket by Javion Brown following an Owensboro Catholic turnover and suddenly the score was 40-38 and Blazer fans began to rock the arena. The two teams traded missed opportunities with the Blazers then taking a timeout with 20 seconds left and the ball.
UHA ran the clock down to five seconds with Javion Brown making the move to the basket. His shot missed, but Lemar Northington was the man of the hour, grabbing the rebound and beating the horn with the putback, unimaginably sending the game to overtime and the Blazer fans into a wild frenzy.
Parker Gray gave the Aces the early lead in the first extra period. After the teams traded free throws. Then, Lemar Northington did it again, draining another long three to put UHA up 44-43. Griffith and Northington traded layups then Parker Gray put the Aces up 47-46 on a jumper with 31 seconds left. After a timeout, Preston Thomas hit one of two free throws with three seconds left to tie the game at 47-47 and send it to the second overtime.
Preston Thomas put UHA up 49-47 with a layup but Parker Gray responded with a three to put the Aces on top 50-49. Lemar Northington made a pair of free throws with 1:52 left to put the Blazers back up 51-50. A Jody Hopgood free throw would tie the game with 1:34 to go, but neither team could score after that as we headed to triple overtime. UHA would hit a three from the corner, but the shot came just after the horn.
Lemar Northington scored a layup with 2:24 to go to put the Blazers up 53-51. Brian Griffith tied it up a minute later on a pair of free throws. Both teams would miss opportunities to win over the final 30 seconds, so the teams headed to the fourth overtime period tied at 53-53.
The Blazers struggled to find their shot early in the fourth OT, and the Aces took advantage to take a five-point lead. After Parker Gray made a pair at the line with 32 seconds left, Catholic was up 59-54 and the Blazers again were in trouble, they would respond, again, but this time the rally would finish just short.
A Lemar Northington three with 26 seconds left made it 59-57. Parker Gray hit two free throws with 18 seconds left to extend the lead to 61-57. Northington buried his sixth three-pointer of the night with 10 seconds left to cut it to 61-60. The Blazers fouled Aces’ reserve Kaiser Frick with 8 seconds left. Frick missed both shots. Elijah Walton grabbed the rebound and got the ball to Northington, who claim flying up the right-hand side and pulled up for a long three. The shot was online, but just short as the Aces began a celebration in the early moments of Saturday morning.
Lemar Northington was amazing in the second half and overtimes, finishing with 29 points and 10 rebounds. Preston Thomas and Gavin Grubbs added 10 points each. Cam Brown had only two points but came up with ten big rebounds.
A big part of the Blazers getting back in the game was their defense coming up with 14 steals on the night.
The Aces were paced by Parker Gray with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Brian Griffith added 17 points and 13 rebounds. Luke Beickman also had a double-double for the Aces with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
The loss drops the Blazers to 14-8 on the season. They will head back to the western end of the state and get ready for a huge regional game Tuesday as they travel to Eddyville to take on Lyon County.
