The 2024-2025 basketball season has not gotten off to the start that the University Heights Academy Blazers were hoping for as we rolled into the month of December. Monday night, the Blazers rallied from behind once in the first half but could not pull off the feat again in the second half as Henderson County took an 84-60 win in Blazer Gym.
The loss was the fifth straight for the Blazers to open the season./
Henderson County used an 8-0 first quarter run to take a 10-4 lead early on. The lead grew to 16-7 and it appeared as if the Colonels were ready to leave the Blazers behind.
But then the Blazers caught fire from behind the arc. Three pointers from Tre Bell, Ryan Luckey, and Frank Thomas brought UHA back to even at 16-16 late in the quarter. Two quick baskets to end the first put Henderson County up 20-16 going into the second.
UHA’s three-point shooting continued to be a factor in the second as the Blazers took the lead at 27-24. Henderson County got the momentum back with an 11-4 flurry to close out the half and go to the break with a 35-31 lead.
Elijah Suggs was a problem for the Blazers inside. The Henderson big man had 13 points in the first half.
The Blazers were hanging around at the break thanks to their outside shooting. UHA connected on six shots from behind the 3-point line over the first 16 minutes.
With the lead still at 4 points at 39-35 early in the third quarter, Henderson County hit University Heights with an 11-0 lead to blow the lead out to 50-35. This time, the Blazers could not find a way to mount another charge back at the Colonels as they could get no closer than 11 points for the rest of the night. The Colonel lead was 60-45 after the third quarter.
The final quarter began with a 10-4 Henderson County run that effectively ended the game and put it in the Colonels’ win column.
University Heights got 21 points from Tylin George. Tre Bell added 12 points on four made 3-pointers. Elijah Walton also hit double figures with 11. Frank Pollard had six points.
Elijah Suggs was Henderson County’s leading scorer with 23 points. Cooper Davenport finished with 18. Xavion Johnson (13), Trajdon Davis (11), and Lacon McKinney (10), all hit double digits for Henderson County.
University Heights (0-5) will continue to look for its first win of the season Thursday night when they begin 8th District play on the road at Fort Campbell.
