Rocks pull away from Trailblazers

The REPORTER

The Class 4A No. 3 Westfield Shamrocks had their hands full with the upstart University Trailblazers for the first quarter Tuesday night before pulling away for a comfortable 60-31 win in an all-county contest at Westfield’s CSI Gymnasium.

University led 13-11 after the first quarter but Westfield held the Blazers scoreless for the entire second quarter to take a 24-13 halftime lead.  University pulled within eight midway through the third quarter before Westfield scored the next 11 points to break the game open.

Durante Morton had a game-high 17 points for Westfield with Jalen Malone adding 11. Blake Gray had 12 to pace University.

The teams went back and forth in the first quarter. Malone opened the scoring before Faisal Mohamud answered. Blake Gray put University up 5-2 with a three pointer from the left corner before Will Harvey added a three to knot the score at the midway point of the period. Morton put Westfield up with a steal and layin but Gray countered with a bucket. Malone had a rebound tip-in and Zien Bland then knotted the score for the Blazers.

Malone scored with 1:33 left in the period but Max McComb responded with a steal and layin. Josh Henderson gave University the 13-11 lead after one with a layin with 35 seconds left.

Luke Vandegriff tied the score two minutes into the second quarter before Morton’s layin put Westfield ahead to stay with 5:04 left. Malone had five points in the quarter while Morton and Vandegriff had four each to account for the Shamrocks’ 13 points.

Westfield won its fourth straight game and will carry a 16-3 record to Franklin Central Friday night for the Shamrocks’ final Hoosier Crossroads Conference game of the season.

University falls to 12-8. The Trailblazers will host Decatur Central Saturday afternoon at The U Center.  The junior varsity game will tip at 2 p.m.