It was a historic night at the U Center on Thursday, as University defeated Scecina Memorial 91-38 in a game that saw two records fall.
The night’s first record fell in the first quarter, as senior guard Natalie Nickless became University’s all-time record holder in 3-pointers made. Her first of five 3s on the night was her 129th career triple, breaking Tyler Diehl’s boys and girls school record. The second record fell in the fourth quarter, as the Trailblazers pushed past the 84-point mark, ultimately scoring a program-best 91 points in Thursday’s victory.
Despite missing starters Lily and Lucy Snyder, University (13-3) opened with a 11-0 run and cruised to a dominant victory — the Trailblazers led 24-7 after one quarter and 53-21 at the half. Nickless and junior guard Brooke Andrus did most of their damage earlier — each had 16 first-half points en route to 23- and 22-point outings, respectively. With sophomore forward and leading scorer Lindsey Syrek in foul trouble, junior guard Haley Tomlinson helped steady the Trailblazers, scoring 10 of her 12 points in the opening half. Despite the foul trouble, Syrek finished with 18.
University solidified its grasp on the game in the third and fourth quarter, pulling away for the 53-point victory. With the game out of reach in the fourth quarter, Trailblazers head coach Justin Blanding went to his bench, and freshman guard Ana Turner stepped up, scoring her first eight career varsity points in the game’s final minutes.
The Trailblazers return to action Saturday, visiting Lebanon for a matinee contest — varsity tip is at 1:30 p.m.
