THE REPORTER
It was an Opening Night doubleheader at The U Center Tuesday in front of a capacity crowd. The University girls played their first home game of the season while the Trailblazer boys played their first game. The twist for Opening Night? The teams played different schools.
Both squads got off to hot starts in their games taking early leads. The girls came away with a 54-42 win over Brebeuf Jesuit, while the boys could not maintain their start and lost 52-40 to Bethesda Christian.
The girls scored the first eight points of the game. Hannah Grubbs, who finished with a team-high 16 points, opened the scoring before Anyah Jordan-Turley added a basket on a nifty spin more down the lane. Mack Feeney added a basket and Grubbs scored on a rebound. University built their advantage to 17-4 at the end of the opening quarter on four consecutive assisted baskets.
The teams traded baskets early in the second quarter and University led 19-6 with six minutes left in the half. Brebeuf began climbing back in the game, holding University to a Keira Bright layin off a steal for the rest of the half. The Trailblazer lead at halftime was 22-18.
Bright nailed a three pointer to open the second half, but Brebeuf rattled off seven consecutive points to tie the game at 25 on a pair of Audra Kendall free throws.
University responded to retake control of the game by scoring the next eight points and ending the third stanza on a 16-4 run. Bright put the Blazers ahead for good with a three-pointer from the left corner off a Norvell pass. Jordan-Turley made a lay-in before Norvell took a pass from Feeney and made a three ball from the right corner for a 33-25 lead.
Grubbs scored eight points in the last 52 seconds of the quarter, including two old fashioned three-point plays for a 41-29 lead after three.
After Brebeuf pulled within five, Charlotte Conyers hit a huge corner three pointer with 2:35 left for a 46-38 lead. Pate scored four points to cut the lead to 46-42 with 1:36 left. Conyers quickly answered with a basket with 1:30 left and University made four of six foul shots to close it out.
Bright finished with 10 points while Jordan-Turley and Conyers each had nine. Feeney dominated the paint, pulling down a game-high 15 rebounds and blocking five shots. Grubbs had eight rebounds.
University improves to 2-2 on the season while Brebeuf lost for just the second time in five games.
The boys had the fast start they wanted, jumping out to a 9-2 lead by making the first three three-point shots they attempted. Bryce Gray opened to the scoring with a triple up top before Max McComb hit from the left corner. Gray made a steal and came down for another three-pointer from the top of the key for a 9-2 lead at the 5:47 mark.
McComb’s foul shot with 4:01 left put University up 10-3 but the Blazers would score just seven points over the next 18 minutes of game action. University led 12-9 at the quarter.
The second period was a defensive slugfest. The Patriots scored the first four points to take their first lead at 13-12. Zion Bland put University back in front at 14-13 with 5:17 left on a pair of free throws.
Cooper Jackson put Bethesda Christian in front for good with five minutes left in the half, setting off a 6-0 run for the Patriots. The visitors led 20-16 at the half.
University could manage only a single foul shot by Bland in the first six minutes of the second half as Bethesda Christian built a 29-17 lead. A pair of and one plays by Gray and Robert Russell gave the Trailblazers hope as the lead was cut to 29-23 with 54 seconds left in the period.
Bethesda Christian pushed its advantage back to 34-24 after three quarters. The Patriots never trailed by less than nine the rest of the way and made 10 of 14 free throws in the quarter to seal the victory.
Bethesda coach Jon Grubaums, a 2013 University graduate, secured the win in his first game against his alma mater.
Gray led University with 14 points. Cooper Cammack had five rebounds for University while Gray had three steals.
The University girls return to action Nov. 30 at The U Center, hosting Anderson Prep in the Pioneer Academic Athletic Conference North opener at 6:30 p.m. The boys will open PAAC North play Dec. 1 at home against Seton Catholic.
GIRLS GAME
UNIVERSITY 54, BREBEUF JESUIT 42
University FG FT TP PF
Hannah Grubbs 7-9 2-2 16 5
Keira Bright 3-8 2-2 10 3
Leah Norvell 2-7 0-0 6 1
Anyah Jordan-Turley 4-12 1-2 9 2
Mack Feeney 2-5 0-0 4 2
Charlotte Conyers 2-7 4-6 9 4
Meg Rohloff 0-0 0-0 0 0
Totals 20-48 9-12 54 17
Score by Quarters
Brebeuf Jesuit 4 14 11 13 – 42
University 17 5 19 13 – 54
University 3-point shooting (5-12) Bright 2-4, Norvell 2-4, Conyers 1-3, Jordan-Turley 0-1.
University rebounds (34) Feeney 15, Grubbs 8, Norvell 4, Bright 3, Conyers 3, Jordan-Turley 1.
BOYS GAME
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN 52, UNIVERSITY 40
University FG FT TP PF
Bryce Gray 5-12 1-1 14 2
Zien Bland 1-3 3-4 5 2
Max McComb 2-9 3-6 8 2
Robert Russell 3-9 1-1 7 4
Cooper Cammack 1-2 2-4 4 2
Jackson Bledsoe 1-3 0-0 2 2
Blake Gray 0-2 0-0 0 2
Montgomery Holland 0-0 0-0 0 1
Totals 13-40 10-16 40 17
Score by Quarters
Bethesda Christian 9 11 14 18 – 52
University 12 4 8 16 – 40
University 3-point shooting (4-21) Br. Gray 3-7, McComb 1-7, Russell 0-3, Bledsoe 0-2, Gray 0-2.
University rebounds (18) Cammack 5, Br. Gray 3, Bland 3, Bl. Gray 2, McComb 2, Holland 2, Russell 1.