Trailblazers boys pull through in overtime

The REPORTER

Zien Bland (19 points) and Cooper Cammack (15 points) had career high scoring nights to help University’s boys withstand a fourth-quarter collapse to claim a 79-75 victory over Covenant Christian Monday night at The U Center in a battle of Sectional 42 contenders.

Covenant Christian trailed by 13 points in the third quarter and battled back from an eight-point deficit with four minutes left in regulation to tie the game at 69 with 31 seconds remaining. A last second shot by Cammack was blocked to force overtime.

University struck first in overtime, with Cammack finding Mohamud for a layin just 10 seconds into the four-minute extra period. The Warriors tied the game on a rebound basket before Mohamud split a pair of free throws with 2:19 left to put the Trailblazers on top for good. Mohamud added another foul shot at the 1:42 mark.

A technical foul was assessed on the Covenant Christian coach with 1:19 remaining and Max McComb hit one of two foul shots. DJ Willis scored a layin off a great pass from Mohamud to put University up 76-71 with 62 seconds left. Cammack scored with 41 seconds remaining before Blake Gray iced the game with a free throw with 6.5 seconds remaining.

University led throughout the game. The Warriors’ only lead at 11-9 lasted for three seconds before Bland scored on a three-point play to give the Blazers the lead they held until the waning seconds of regulation.

Coach Justin Blanding had high praise for his unlikely scorers.

“I will take a win any way we can get it,” said Blanding. “I am super proud of Cooper and Zien. They really stepped up tonight. How they played is what I had been envisioning for them and our team. Hats off to them. DJ came in and made some big plays after being out last week with the flu.”

Blanding was concerned with the play that let the Warriors back in the game.

“Yes, we got the win, but I am extremely disappointed with our guard play tonight,” said Blanding. “We did some uncharacteristic things out there and it almost cost us.”

Blanding said that if all six of University’s guards “have 20 turnovers among them then we are going to be in trouble. I am very disappointed with our guard play right now. I do have confidence we will get it figured out but tonight’s showing from our guards was poor.”

The Blazers ended with four players in double figures with McComb having 16 and Mohamud 15.  The 79 points scored by University was a season high. The win was the Trailblazers’ third in a row and evens their season record at 6-6.

Covenant Christian had a four-game winning streak snapped and are now 8-3 on the season.

University has a pair of road games this weekend. The Blazers travel to Muncie Burris Friday night for a Pioneer Academic Athletic Conference North game and will journey to Sectional 42 host Monrovia on Saturday evening.