Trailblazers fall just short at state

Manchester Squires’ late run sends them past University

By RICHIE HALL
sports@readthereporter.com

INDIANAPOLIS – University fell just short of its state championship goal last Saturday, but the future looks bright for the Trailblazers.

University took on Manchester in the Class 2A state finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It was a back-and-forth game, with the Blazers leading with a minute and a half to go. But the Squires made a quick 9-0 run during that last minute and claim their first-ever boys basketball state title, 59-54.

University’s Blake Gray made six 3-pointers, tying a Class 2A state championship record for most 3s made. (Julie Brown)

The game was close for almost the entire 32 minutes, with neither team leading by five points until Manchester made its game-clinching run in the fourth period. University was matching the No. 3-ranked Squires basket for basket and got a historic performance from one of its star juniors.

Zien Bland, the other University senior, scored seven points. (Julie Brown)

“Everybody was prepared,” said Trailblazers coach Justin Blanding. “We’ve been playing championship basketball for the last four weeks. We knew we were going to make plays, but we also knew they were going to make plays. We did a good job.”

University led 11-10 after the first quarter. Junior Blake Gray hit a 3-pointer to give the ‘Blazers a 5-2 lead, after which Manchester nailed back-to-back triples for an 8-5 lead. But Gray stepped up again, draining another 3 to tie the game.

Gray scored off his own rebounds to push University ahead 11-8, but the Squires’ Tallen Torpy made a layin to cut the lead to one going into the second quarter. Zien Bland hit a triple midway through the second to give University a 15-14 advantage, but two free throws from Gavin Betten and a triple by Wyatt Prater pushed Manchester ahead 19-15, the largest lead of the game at that point.

But the long-distance ball kept the Blazers in the game as well. Gray made his third 3 of the game, then after Betten scored, senior Max McComb drained a 3 to finish the second quarter. The contest was tied 21-21 at halftime.

Gray opened the second half with his fourth triple, moving University ahead 24-21. Manchester then went on a 13-4 run to take a 34-28 lead. Betten, a Grace College recruit, scored seven of those points.

Max McComb, one of two seniors on the Trailblazers’ team, scored 16 points, including four 3s. (Julie Brown)

A 3 by Ethan Hendrix late in the third gave the Squires a 39-32 advantage. But McComb finished the quarter with a jumper and that started a 7-0 run for the Trailblazers. Sophomore Josh Henderson began the fourth period with a layin, then McComb hit a triple to tie the game at 39-39.

McComb caught fire later in the quarter, nailing back-to-back 3s to turn a 43-40 deficit into a 46-43 Blazers lead. Manchester’s Kaleb Kline tied the game with another 3, but Gray answered that with his fifth triple of the game.

University led 49-46 at that point. Layins from Betten and Hendrix gave the Squires a 50-49 lead, but Faisal Mohamud made a pair of free throws, and the Trailblazers were up 51-50 with 1:44 left

“We were matching each other pretty well,” said Blanding. “I wanted to actually play a little faster, but they did a good job of taking the transition away from us a little bit.”

Betten stepped up again, making a layin with 1:25 left to push Manchester in front. The Squires would never trail again, as that basket was the start of a 9-0 run. Hendrix went 5-of-6 from the free-throw line to contribute to that run, then a steal by Andy Reid finished the run.

Gray got the last word, hitting yet another 3 with less than 10 seconds left. That put Gray in the history books: it was his sixth 3-pointer, tying a record for a Class 2A state championship game.

Gray finished the game with 20 points while McComb, who is committed to Maryville College in Tennessee, scored 16 points, including four 3s. Cooper Cammack led the rebounds with seven, followed by Henderson with six and Gray with five. Mohamud dished out six assists.

Faisal Mohamud dished out six assists. (Julie Brown)

Hendrix and Betten both scored 21 points, with Betten reaching double-double status by collecting 10 rebounds. Betten also handed out five assists and Hendrix dished out four.

University finished its season with a 20-10 record. The Blazers graduate two very good seniors in McComb and Bland, who scored seven points in the championship game. But several players will return next year: Gray, Mohamud and Cammack are juniors and Henderson is a sophomore.

“It was a great experience,” said Blanding. At the same time, the coach said this is the standard for the Trailblazers now.

“We’re going to get back to work so we can have the opportunity to maybe get here again,” said Blanding.

Reporter photos by Julie Brown