Blazers bounce back in tight game over Monrovia

The REPORTER

The University girls went on the road to Sectional 42 host Monrovia Tuesday night and picked up a come from behind 70-64 win.

Taylor Seay scored a career-high 24 points to lead the Trailblazers. Gabby Culp had 13 points, 14 rebounds and six assists as University rallied from a 35-27 early third quarter deficit.

Six different Trailblazers scored in the third quarter as crawled back in the last three minutes of the period.  Trailing 44-37 Gabby Culp made a free throw and scored off an assist from Anyah Turley.  After a Monrovia basket, buckets by Meg Rohloff and Turley cut the lead to two. The Bulldogs added a basket with 12 seconds left but Mack Feeney had a rebound bucket at the buzzer to pull University within 48-46 after three.

Seay tied the score at 48 early in the final period off a Turley assist, but Monrovia ran out to a 56-50 lead with 6:21 left. University turned up the defensive intensity to drive a 9-0 run over the next 2:07 to take a 59-56 lead and the Blazers never trailed again.  Sydney Culp got things started with University’s only three-pointer of the game.  Seay made two foul shots then Gabby Culp scored a rebound basket off a University steal to give the Blazers their first lead since the middle of the second quarter at 57-56 with 5:04 left.  Leah Norvell made two free throws to complete the 9-0 run.

Norvell had University’s next four points with the second of her two baskets putting University up 63-60 with 2:08 left. After a Sydney Culp field goal, the Bulldogs pulled within 65-64 then forced a 10-second violation by the Blazers with 59 seconds left. The Blazers defense stepped up holding Monrovia scoreless the rest of the game and University made enough free throws to close out the win.

Norvell and Sydney Culp had 10 points each to give University four players in double figures. Norvell pulled down seven rebounds. Feeney hit the stat sheet in all categories, finishing with 11 rebounds, six assists, five steals and four blocks. University had 19 offensive rebounds, with Feeney grabbing eight and Gabby Culp seven.

The win was University’s second in a row after opening the season with three losses.  The Trailblazers open Pioneer Academic Athletic Conference play Thursday night at Anderson Preparatory Academy.  Tip time is 6:30 p.m.

Monrovia falls to 2-3 on the season.