University dropped a tough road matchup at Bethesda Christian on Tuesday night, falling 58-56 in overtime.
The game was tight for most of the first half, with the Trailblazers (5-2) ahead just 9-8 at the quarter break, but University closed the first half on a 7-0 run to open up a 29-24 lead at halftime. The Trailblazers led throughout the third quarter, but Bethesda Christian (4-0) clawed the lead back at 40-39 early in the fourth quarter. The teams traded the lead twice until University used a 6-0 run to open up breathing room with a 47-42 lead. The Patriots responded with a 7-0 run of their own to lead 49-47 as time wound down.
Lindsey Syrek hit a 3-pointer to put University back ahead, 50-49, before the teams again traded baskets to leave the University lead at 52-51 in the final minute. Haley Tomlinson hit a layup with 17 seconds left to push University’s advantage to 54-51, but Maddi Fulks hit a 3-pointer with eight seconds left in regulation to knot the game up, 54-54, sending it to overtime.
Neither team scored in the extra session until the final minute, when Syrek scored her 13th and 14th points of the game to push University into the lead, 56-54. Syrek, who recorded a career-high and school-record 30 rebounds, was one of three Trailblazers who finished with 14 points — Natalie Nickless and Lucy Snyder the others. Bethesda Christian had an answer, though, as Fulks burned the Trailblazers again, finishing through light contact to tie the game before converting an and-1 opportunity to put the Patriots ahead 57-56 in the closing seconds. University’s last-gasp efforts fell short, and the Patriots hit the front-end of a 1-and-1 to take the game to its final margin.
It was the first of as many as four meetings between the squads — the two could meet at the Monrovia tournament in December, in the conference championship game in January, and in the sectional in February.
University is back in action when it opens its Pioneer Conference North Division slate Thursday night, hosting Anderson Prep. Junior varsity tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m., with varsity to follow at 7:30.
