By RICHIE HALL
CARMEL – The University boys basketball team achieved a milestone on Thursday as it wrapped up the regular season.
The Trailblazers, ranked No. 5 in Class 2A, steadily took control of their Senior Night game with 3A Bishop Chatard and won 59-50 in front of a near-capacity crowd at the U Center. With the victory, University notched its 20th win of the season, the third year in a row that the ‘Blazers reached that mark.
The Trojans held the lead for most of the first quarter, which ended with them ahead 13-10. The Trailblazers briefly led 3-2 after Joe Martin made a three-point play to get UHS on the board. But Chatard made back-to-back baskets to re-gain the lead. In a harbinger of things to come, Max Greenamoyer hit a 3-pointer late in the quarter.
University trailed 15-12 early in the second before a 7-0 run pushed the ‘Blazers ahead 19-15. Camden Brown and Martin were good on layins, then Greenamoyer nailed his second 3 of the game. The Trojans scored consecutive baskets to tie it up at 19-19, but Greenamoyer responded by making another 3. That put University up 22-19 and the Trailblazers never trailed again.
“We’ve had a lot of close games lately, a lot of tough games and I think that that’s prepared us for how tonight’s game was going,” said UHS coach Brandon Lafferman. “We never really got rattled early when they got ahead. Obviously, senior leaders did a good job throughout the game in terms of just taking care of the ball and controlling pace and making sure that we didn’t ever let them run away with it early when they were ahead.”
Greenamoyer hit one more 3 before the half, and a layin by Jacob Sager gave University a 30-26 halftime lead. The Trojans got to within 32-31 early in the third, but another 7-0 run put the Trailblazers up 39-31. Brown started the run with an and-1, the Sam Mervis and Martin made layins.
“I think that’s been the recipe for us all season,” said Lafferman. “We really score by committee. Max has big nights, Joe has big nights. I thought we had really good minutes from Camden Brown in the fourth quarter and obviously defensively, I thought Korey and Jacob Sager were great and Sam Mervis did what he always does and controlled the game.”
University took a 43-38 lead into the fourth quarter and held that advantage for the entire period, leading from anywhere between four to 11 points. Martin’s free throw with 4:16 on the clock gave the Trailblazers their first 10-point lead of the game, at 51-41.
Chatard made one last push, as Noah Carter hit a 3, then Edreece Redmond got a quick steal and basket, cutting University’s lead in half, to 51-46. The ‘Blazers were able to regroup, with Brown hitting two free throws. Then in a big play, Korey Ash-Simpson collected an offensive rebound, which turned into a basket from Greenamoyer to get University up 55-46. The Trailblazers ran out the game from there.
Greenamoyer finished the game with 20 points, including his four 3-pointers, and also pulled five rebounds. Martin totaled 15 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Camden Brown added 14 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots. Sager had five rebounds, while Ash-Simpson had four rebounds.
“I think that’s been the recipe for us all season,” said Lafferman. “We really score by committee. Max has big nights, Joe has big nights. I thought we had really good minutes from Camden Brown in the fourth quarter and obviously defensively, I thought Korey and Jacob Sager were great and Sam Mervis did what he always does and controlled the game.”
University is 20-4 for the season. The Trailblazers will head to Heritage Christian to compete in Sectional 42, playing Scecina at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the tournament’s opening game.
UNIVERSITY 59, BISHOP CHATARD 50
University FG FT TP PF
Max Greenamoyer 6-13 4-7 20 3
Faizan Eskar 0-0 0-0 0 0
Jacob Sager 1-1 0-3 2 2
Joe Martin 5-12 5-8 15 0
Korey Ash-Simpson 1-2 0-0 2 0
Sam Mervis 2-4 2-4 6 2
Camden Brown 4-5 6-8 14 1
Aaron Stallings 0-0 0-0 0 0
Larry Pierce 0-1 0-0 0 1
Nate Jeffery 0-0 0-0 0 0
Matt Jones 0-0 0-0 0 0
Mitchell Martin 0-0 0-0 0 0
Totals 19-38 17-30 59 9
Score by Quarters
Bishop Chatard 13 13 12 12 – 50
University 10 20 13 16 – 59
University 3-point shooting (4-14) Greenamoyer 4-11, Brown 0-1, J. Martin 0-1, Ash-Simpson 0-1.
University rebounds (29) Brown 7, Greenamoyer 5, Sager 5, J. Martin 5, Ash-Simpson 4, Mervis 1, Eskar 1, Pierce 1.
University’s Max Greenamoyer hit four 3-pointers for the Trailblazers during their 59-50 win over Bishop Chatard Thursday night in front of a packed U Center. (Richie Hall)