It was a pretty impressive start to the Terry Hayes era at University Heights Academy Monday night. The Blazers used stifling defense and a balanced team effort on the offensive end to run away from the Ballard Memorial Bombers 70-43 in front of a good opening night crowd in Blazer Gym.
The game was not actually as close as the final score shows as the Blazers got up to a 35 point lead midway through the third quarter and began to rotate more reserves in and out of the lineup over the final 12 minutes of the contest.
The game started off as if it were a one-on-one battle between UHA’s Quinton Quarles and Ballard standout Jace Birney. Each scored the first five points of the game for their team as it was tied early at 5-5. The difference was that Quarles soon got some help from the rest of the Blazers while Birney did not. That, and the Blazers turned their defensive pressure up to 11 on a scale of ten.
As the Bombers began to have trouble holding on to the ball, the Blazers began to get their offense rolling. Trailing Ballard 10-9, UHA finished the opening quarter on an 11-4 run to take a 20-14 lead after one. Jace Birney had all but 2 of Ballard’s points at this point, while five different Blazers found the scoring column in the game’s first eight minutes.
UHA then delivered the knockout blow in the opening moments of the 2nd quarter. As the quarter started, the Blazer pressure ignited an 11-1 run, blowing the lead out to 31-15 and essentially settling the issue for the night. After a Bomber basket, UHA closed the half with a 14-3 run to take a 45-20 lead into the locker room at the break.
Kyler Baker had a huge second quarter for the Blazers putting up ten points as UHA blew the game wide open. Tylin George had seven in the quarter as the Blazers put 25 points on the board.
The Ballard ballhandlers simply wilted under the Blazer pressure in the second quarter, turning the ball over and giving the UHA offense runout opportunities.
The Blazers kept the pedal to the floor as the second half got underway, opening the third quarter on a 17-7 blitz to get to a 62-27 lead and bringing the running clock into play for the rest of the night. From there it was just a matter of determining the final score. Gavin Grubbs caught fire in the third, scoring nine points in the quarter.
Ballard ended the third on a bit of a run against UHA reserves to trim the lead to 62-36 going into the final eight minutes.
Kyler Baker led four Blazers in double-figures on the night with 16 points. Quinton Quarles added 14 points, including two 3-pointers. Gavin Grubbs finished with 13 points and Elijah Walton rounded out the quartet of double-figure scorers with 10 points.
For Ballard Memorial, Jace Birney ended the night with 26 points. Ike Miller added six points for the Bombers.
The Blazers open the season at 1-0 and will return to action Saturday in the Cayce Mill Classic at Hopkins Central taking on Page High School out of Franklin, Tennessee.
Ballard Memorial opens the season at 0-1 and gets back on the court December 5 when they host St. Mary.
BMHS — 14 6 16 7 – 43
UHA — 20 25 17 8 – 70
Ballard Memorial – Birney 26, Miller 6, Overstreet 5, Duncan 4, M.McGlenon 2
University Heights – Baker 16, Quarles 14, Grubbs 13, Walton 10, M.Hauret 7, George 7, Northington 3
