University falls to Tri-West at home

The REPORTER

The University girls went scoreless for the first four minutes of the fourth quarter and fell into a hole they were unable to climb out of on the way to a 56-49 loss to Tri-West last Saturday at the U Center.

Sydney Culp’s running five-footer at the third quarter buzzer gave the Trailblazers a 38-37 lead in the back-and-forth contest. University went cold from the field as the Bruins scored the first 11 points of the fourth quarter for a 48-38 lead. Meg Rohloff’s basket with 3:47 remaining broke the ice and started an 11-4 run for University that saw it pull within 52-49 on Anyah Turley’s bucket with 1:06 left.

The Trailblazers forced a turnover but a shot to pull within one was not good. University was forced to foul and Tri-West’s Anyiah Anderson went four for four at the foul line to put the game away.

University got off to a fast start, jumping to a 7-3 lead on three pointers from Turley and Gabby Culp and a free throw from Taylor Seay.  The Trailblazers scored just two points in the last 5:47 of the quarter and Tri-West caught fire building a 17-9 lead after the opening period.

The Blazers opened the second quarter with a 15-2 run of their own to build a 24-19 lead midway through the second quarter. Turley started the quarter with a three pointer and scored off a Seay assist. Seay made a pair of foul shots to cut the lead to one before Tri-West canned two charity tosses. Gabby Culp knotted the contest at 19 with a three pointer.

Seay put University back in front with a rebound basket before Leah Norvell found Turley in the left corner for a three pointer and a 24-19 lead. University held their largest lead of the game at 26-20 when Seay scored off a Norvell assist. A late basket by Norvell gave the Blazers a 28-23 halftime lead.

Tri-West made two three pointers to open the second half to retake the lead the first of five lead changes in the third quarter. Seay had five points in the third.

Turley led University with 13 points with Seay adding 12.

The loss dropped University to 7-7. The Trailblazers are next in action Tuesday when they travel to Western for their second contest with the Panthers this season. University beat Western 53-38 on Dec. 27 in the opening game of the Carroll Holiday Tournament. The ‘Blazers then host Sheridan on Wednesday and Covenant Christian on Saturday.

Tri-West improved the 8-7 with the win.