The University girls basketball team won the first Class 2A Sectional in school history Saturday evening, defeating the six time defending Sectional champion Covenant Christian 59-45 at Cascade High School.
Payton Seay had game highs in points (17) and rebounds (11) to lead the Trailblazers. Senior Sierra Hinds fought through foul trouble and had 14 points, including five straight fourth quarter free throws to help University close the game out.
Kelsey DuBois was a force in the paint, pulling down eight rebounds and getting to the foul line a dozen times. DuBois made nine free throws and had 15 points on the game. Jordan Patterson hit two big three-pointers and was the fourth Blazer in double figures with 11 points.
“Our team came together tonight,” said coach Justin Blanding. “Sierra played through adversity to lead us in the second half. We took care of the ball tonight and made our free throws down the stretch.”
University was 25 of 33 at the charity stripe and made nine of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter to put the game away.
The win was the seventh girls basketball Sectional championship in the 16 seasons of IHSAA play at University. The previous six titles were won in Class 1A before University moved up to 2A before last season. The Trailblazers have a strong tradition with three regional championships and one semi-state title.
The Trailblazers have fought through adversity this season, enduring three quarantines and playing just 11 regular season games. University entered the Sectional having played just twice since December 19 and were on a three-game losing streak.
Adversity on Saturday came in the form off a hot start from Covenant Christian, with Patty Chikamba hitting a three pointer just 11 seconds in to the game. The Warriors led throughout the quarter and held a 17-11 advantage after eight minutes. Chikamba hit three triples in the first quarter. University had just one field goal in the opening period, a three pointer by Patterson, but made eight of 10 free throws as they worked the ball inside.
University kept their poise and began to assert themselves in the second quarter, holding Covenant Christian to just three points. Seay scored on a lay-in and Hinds hit a long two pointer from the right corner to pull the Trailblazers within 17-15. Bonnie Ludlow scored an old fashioned three point play with 5:16 remaining in the second quarter to put Covenant up 20-15, but those were the last Warrior points in the first half as University’s defense clamped down. Ludllow’s basket came on Hinds’ third foul of the half and the University offense struggled with their senior sharp shooter on the bench, but their defense helped keep them in the game.
Seay scored a basket and free throw with 3:57 left in the half and DuBois split a pair of foul shots at the 1:39 mark and Covenant Christian took a 20-19 lead to the halftime locker room.
The Trailblazers took their first lead of the game just 15 seconds in to the second half when Seay found DuBois for a basket in the lane. Patterson hit two free throws to put University up 23-20. Covenant Christian’s scoreless drought ended at 6:16 with a basket to cut the lead to 23-22. Seay assisted on University’s next two baskets, feeding Hinds and Patterson and the Trailblazers had a 27-22 lead forcing a Warriors timeout.
Covenant Christian quickly came back to tie the game on a Samara Douglas three pointer, but a DuBois foul shot with 3:22 left put University in front for good and started a 16-3 run for the Blazers. Baskets by Seay and DuBois sandwich two DuBois foul shots and one Hinds free throw and University led 35-30 after the third quarter.
Patterson came up big in the fourth quarter. She nailed a three pointer off a set-up from Seay and scored again with 7:10 left to give University a 10-point lead at 40-30. Hinds made a foul shot and Seay scored again in the lane to cap 11 straight University points and a 43-30 lead.
The Warriors rallied to get as close as 45-39 midway through the quarter, but Hinds scored a layup off a great pass from DuBois, then stole the ball and drove for another layup to restore a double-digit lead at 49-39 with 2:49 left. A Seay basket off a Kamryn Washington feed put the game away at 51-39 with 2:34 remaining.
University will take a 10-3 record in to Saturday morning’s 10 a.m. regional game against 20-3, No. 5-ranked Triton Central at Southmont High School. The Tigers are the defending regional champions. No. 7 Shenandoah (21-3) will face No. 9 South Putnam (14-1) in the second contest. The Southmont regional is loaded, with the teams combining for just 10 losses, the fewest of the 16 regionals taking place Saturday.
UNIVERSITY 59, COVENANT CHRISTIAN 45
University FG FT TP PF
Kelsey DuBois 3 9-12 15 3
Sierra Hinds 3 8-10 14 3
Kamryn Washington 1 0-2 2 1
Payton Seay 6 5-5 17 2
Jordan Patterson 3 3-4 11 1
Abby Hannon 0 0-0 0 1
Totals 16 25-33 59 11
Score by Quarters
University 11 8 16 24 – 59
Covenant 17 3 10 15 – 45
University 3-pointers (2) Patterson 2.
University rebounds (35) Seay 11, DuBois 8, Patterson 6, Hinds 4, Washington 3, team 3.