The REPORTER
University’s six-year reign as boys basketball champions of the Pioneer Academic Athletic Conference (PAAC) is over. Bethesda Christian dethroned the Trailblazers 62-52 in a contest that featured huge momentum swings and a half-court buzzer-beater.
Bethesda Christian scored the first 14 points of the game before University rallied to take a 23-21 halftime lead. The Patriots regained the lead in the third quarter, survived a Bryce Gray half court bomb at the third quarter buzzer and pulled away in the fourth quarter making 9 of 11 foul shots to hold University at bay.
The Patriots Sam Mlagan scored seven of his game high 25 points in helping his team to that 14-0 lead. Max McComb got the Trailblazers on the board with an old fashioned three-point play with 1:26 left in the opening period. Cooper Cammack and McComb each added a pair of foul shots to let University close the gap to 16-7 at the end of the opening quarter.
University slowly chipped away in the second quarter. McComb opened with a three pointer and added another basket to cut the lead to 17-12. After another Mlagan score, Bryce Gray found Montgomery Holland for a lay-in and another three-point play. Cammack set up McComb for a three pointer with 2:40 left and University was within 19-18. Blake Gray found McComb for a three pointer to give the Blazers their first lead at 21-19 with 1:57 left.
University took a 23-21 lead to the halftime locker room after Bryce Gray’s scored on a drive to the rim with five seconds left.
The Patriots regained the lead 38 seconds into the second half on a Mlagan triple to ignite an 8-0 Bethesda Christian run that gave the hosts a lead they never relinquished. Bryce Gray pulled University within 34-30. The Patriots led 39-30 when Bryce Gray pulled up at the halfcourt line and made a buzzer-beating three-pointer to give University some momentum heading into the final quarter.
Bethesda Christian was up to the task, scoring the first five point of the fourth quarter and University got no closer than seven the rest of the game.
McComb finished with 19 points, 16 in the first half, to lead University. Bryce Gray scored 12 of his 14 in the second half. Cammack had a team-high six rebounds.
The PAAC championship was the first for Bethesda Christian. The Patriots are coached by 2013 University graduate Jonathan Grubaums. Bethesda Christian, ranked 11th in Class 1A holds a 13-7 record and have won eight games in a row and 10 of 11.
University falls to 10-9 on the season and will play a pair of road games against Class 4A opponents next week. The Blazers travel to fourth ranked Westfield for an all-county matchup on Tuesday and play at Decatur Central on Saturday afternoon – gametime has been changed to 1:30 p.m. for the matinee.
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN 62, UNIVERSITY 52
University FG FT TP PF
Bryce Gray 4-11 4-4 14 4
Blake Gray 1-4 0-0 3 1
Max McComb 6-9 4-5 19 5
Robert Russell 1-4 0-0 2 1
Montgomery Holland 1-5 1-3 3 2
Jackson Bledsoe 0-0 2-2 2 2
Zien Bland 0-3 0-0 0 4
Faisal Mohamud 2-6 2-3 7 0
Cooper Cammack 0-0 2-2 2 0
Totals 15-42 15-19 52 19
Score by Quarters
University 7 16 10 19 – 52
Bethesda 16 5 18 23 – 62
University 3-point shooting (7-23) McComb 3-4, Br. Gray 2-7, Mohamud 1-5, Bl. Gray 1-3, Russell 0-2, Bland 0-1, Holland 0-1.
University rebounds (22) Cammack 6, Br. Gray 3, Bledsoe 3, McComb 3, Holland 3, Bl. Gray 1, Bland 1, Russell 1, Mohamud 1.