Two teams known for playing one of the best games ever in the All A Classic state tournament got together Friday night in Blazer Gym to close out the regular season. And like it did that night in Richmond, when University Heights Academy and Owensboro Catholic squared off, the game would end up in the win column for the Aces.
Owensboro Catholic used an explosive finish to break open a close game and run out to a 69-50 win.
The Blazers got off to a good start, thanks to a big first quarter from Keshawn Moore, who put seven points on the board in the first eight minutes. UHA led by as many as six points in the quarter before the Aces closed with a five-point run to make it 12-11.
A big part of the Blazer lead was due to the defensive pressure that forced Owensboro Catholic into seven first-quarter turnovers. The Aces were able to hang around thanks to a dominant effort on the boards in the quarter, outrebounding UHA 10 to 2 in the first.
After a basket from Jaiden Miles made it 14-11 at the beginning of the quarter, the Aces made their move to get to the front. O-Cath scored the next seven points to get an 18-14 lead. A big part of the effort was the Aces doing a much better job in the second holding on to the ball and not giving the Blazers easy scoring opportunities.
UHA battled back to tie the game at 22-22 late in the half, thanks to strong inside play from Jaiden Miles, who scored six points in the quarter.
The Aces scored the final three points of the half to take a 25-22 lead into the break. While the Aces were able to get to the lead by doing a better job in ball security, the Blazers did a better job on the boards in the quarter, helping them to stay in the game. By the half, UHA had trimmed the rebounding margin to 13 to 9.
Owensboro Catholic got good, balanced effort in the half with seven different players scoring, led by Dremail Carothers with 9 points.
Keshawn Moore had 9 points to lead the Blazers at the break.
The two teams battled back and forth through the opening moments of the third. Midway through the quarter, the Aces were up just 30-28. Owensboro Catholic then started finding lanes to the basket and was able to push the lead out to 37-29 with just over four minutes left in the quarter, prompting a Blazer timeout.
UHA responded with baskets from Jaiden Miles and Keshawn Moore to trim the lead to 37-33 with 2:21 left in the third, bringing about an Aces’ timeout.
Owensboro Catholic got a little momentum late in the quarter when Jake Murphy drained a three from the right side inside the final minute to give the Aces a 42-35 lead they would carry into the final quarter.
Murphy opened the fourth quarter with another three and the lead hit double digits for the first time in the game at 45-35 with just under seven minutes left.
From there, Owensboro Catholic was able to keep the Blazers from mounting a late-game comeback as the Aces held on to take the 19-point win.
Keshawn Moore led UHA with 14 points. Nash McAfee hit three from behind the arc and ended up with 10 points. Hayden Hunt and Jaiden Miles had 9 points each. Some concern on the Blazer sideline after the game as Hunt went down with what appeared to be an ankle injury late in the game.
The Aces got 18 points from Dremail Carothers to lead four players in double figures. Jake Murphy chipped in with 14 points. Braylon Coats finished with 13 points, 11 in the final quarter as Owensboro Catholic pulled away. Grant Myles also reached double figures with 10.
With the loss, the Blazers finish the regular season at 7-16. They now get ready to begin postseason play as they take on the Christian County Colonels for the final time ever in the semifinals of the 8th District tournament Tuesday evening.
