University led for long stretches of the game, but fell at Tri-West on Thursday night, 61-53.
The Trailblazers (14-7) got a Lindsey Syrek bucket on the opening possession to take an early lead, but soon found themselves behind, as a pair of 3-pointers from Tri-West junior guard Maggie Cora that preceded 10- and 5-second University turnovers staked the Bruins to a 6-2 advantage. Cora hit four more points either side of a junior guard Brooke Andrus 3-pointer to take a 10-5 lead as University head coach Justin Blanding took a timeout.
University stayed in there and played some of their best basketball over the next couple quarters to take a lead. A 7-0 run put the Trailblazers ahead 12-10, then a 5-0 run after a Bruins response pushed the lead to 17-12. Tri-West (13-6) got the final basket of the first quarter, though, cutting University’s advantage to 17-14 at the break.
The Trailblazers kept pushing ahead early in the second quarter, and midway through the frame had opened up a 24-16 advantage. It was a game of runs, though, and the Bruins went on a 10-1 tear to lead 26-25 late in the first half, with the teams trading two points each before the halftime horn, the score 28-27 in Tri-West’s favor.
University played to its strengths to start the third quarter, though, and open up its biggest lead of the game. Senior guard Natalie Nickless hit a pair of 3-pointers, and Syrek, the sophomore forward, got a couple buckets in the post to open up a 37-28 lead off a 10-0 run. Those two 3s would prove to be Nickless’ only points of the game, though, as the Bruins clamped down defensively on the Blazers’ senior captain.
The hosts came right back with a 10-0 run of their own, though, and after the teams traded buckets to end the third, Tri-West held a 40-39 lead entering the final quarter. Tri-West never did surrender that lead the rest of the way, as the Bruins hit key free throws down the stretch to close out the eight-point win.
Tri-West tightened the screws defensively against Syrek, who only had two of her 18 points in the fourth quarter, and opened up a 50-44 lead just past the midway point of the final stanza. Four consecutive points from junior guard Lily Snyder cut the deficit to 50-48, but it was soon back out to 55-48 with 1:30 to play. Syrek’s only bucket of the fourth cut the lead to 55-50, and after a missed Tri-West layup, the Trailblazers had the ball with a chance to make it a one-possession game in the final minute. Lily Snyder’s 3-pointer missed, though, and the Bruins salted it away at the line with six made free throws in the final minute for the 61-53 final.
It was the first-ever meeting between University and 3A Tri-West on the hardwood, and the third game out of four for the Trailblazers against 3A opposition.
University could add one more game before the close of the regular season, but if not, the Trailblazers will enter the sectional on a four-game losing streak in two weeks. If a home game is added, it will serve as Senior Night for Nickless, the program’s lone senior. The Trailblazers will learn their tournament fate Sunday in the IHSAA tournament draw; University will host Sectional 58, where Bethesda Christian is the other favorite.
Tri-West 61,
University 53
University FG FT TP PF
Lindsey Syrek 8 2-5 18 4
Brooke Andrus 4 0-1 9 4
Lily Snyder 2 6-7 11 4
Lucy Snyder 3 0-1 6 2
Natalie Nickless 2 0-0 6 2
Lilly Fair 0 0-0 0 2
Haley Tomlinson 1 0-0 3 2
Totals 20 8-14 53 20
Score by Quarters
University 17 10 12 14 – 53
Tri-West 14 14 12 21 – 61
University 3-pointers (4) Nickless 2, Andrus, Li. Snyder.