For three quarters on Friday, the University Heights Academy boys’ basketball team held hosts Hopkinsville to zero three-pointers and sported a 12-point advantage in both teams’ final 8th-District matchup. However, the Tigers caught fire from long range in the fourth quarter, forcing the Blazers to hold on for a tense 59-53 victory in a preview of a first-round matchup in the upcoming district tournament.
Gavin Grubbs had six points in the first quarter and gave the Blazers a 14-6 lead after a pair of free throws and a layup, but Hopkinsville answered with an 8-0 run to tie the game at 14-14 after the opening frame.
But the points dried up for the Tigers, and they went scoreless over the first six minutes of the second quarter. Kyler Baker came off the bench for the Blazers for two buckets in the paint, jumpstarting a 13-0 spurt for a 27-14 advantage.
The Tigers cut it to nine after a pair of free throws by Bubba Leavell before UHA reclaimed the momentum on a three-point play by Lemar Northington II in the final seconds of the half.
Hopkinsville turned up the defensive pressure to start the second half but couldn’t cut into the deficit. Elijah Walton scored four points for the Blazers, and they looked to be in control up 12 with a quarter to play.
Leavell knocked down the Tigers’ first three-pointer of the game inside the first minute of the fourth, and they were back within five points after back-to-back triples by KeiMarion Smith and Kentrell Adams forced a Blazer timeout.
Leavell sank his second three of the quarter, and Antonio Williams followed with a pull-up jumper to give the Tigers their first lead of the game with 3:42 to play.
Baskets by Jabrion Brown and Walton put UHA back in front 53-50. With a chance to extend the lead, the Blazers missed the front of a one-and-one, and Smith made them pay with another three-pointer to tie the game for the final time.
However, the Blazers kept their nerve at the charity stripe, with Northington II, Grubbs, and Cam Brown hitting six straight to seal the victory.
Northington II led the Blazers with 13, followed by Walton with 12 and Grubbs with 11.
For Hoptown, Leavell scored 13, and Smith, Williams, and Manning each finished with 11.
Hopkinsville slipped to 10-15, 2-3 in district play, with a matchup with Butler County coming up on Saturday at the Lyon County Classic.
UHA improved to 18-8 and ran its district mark to 3-1. The Blazers will also be in Lyon County on Saturday before hosting the Lyons on Monday in a rematch of UHA’s win in the 2nd-Region All-A Classic.
University Heights 14 18 12 15 — 59
Hopkinsville 14 6 12 21 — 53
University Heights (18-8) — Northington II 13, Walton 12, Grubbs 11, Baker 6, Quarles 6, C. Brown 4, J. Brown 4, Thomas 3
Hopkinsville (10-15) — Leavell 13, Manning 11, Smith 11, Williams 11, Gavin 4, Adams 3
