After 11 days without a game – the last one a win over Murray on Feb. 2 – Marshall County added a home game on Saturday against University Heights. This was the second game between the Marshals and the Blazers – the first in Hopkinsville on Jan. 9 that UHA won 77-68.
UHA won this one 75-61 behind the play of seniors DJ Quarles with 24 points and Amani McGee with 22.
“It’s a tough game for our kids to come back to”, Coach Terry Birdsong said of the 11 day break from competition.
Kaden Driver kicked things off with a 3-pointer then Cole Mills poured in 10 first quarter points for the Marshals, equaled by McGee who had 10 for UHA and the Blazers lead was 18-15.
A free throw by Mills and 3-pointer from Kaden Driver started the second quarter on a 19-18 lead for the Marshals. Four more points from Mills and a basket by Quinn Smith put the Marshals up 25-19 and UHA needed a time out. Smith scored out of the time out and gave the Marshals an eight point lead that UHA cut down to two at 30-28.
A basket by Brady Miller who drew the foul for the 3-point play put the lead back to five points but following a couple of field goals from UHA senior KJ Crump, the lead was down to one at 34-33 .
The Marshals held a 36-35 lead at halftime.
Smith put Marshall County up by three to open the second half followed by a 3-pointer at the other end by McGee to tie 38-38. A three from Mills was countered with a three from McGee and they were knotted up again at 41-41. Free throws by William Bryan gave UHA a lead they would hang on to the remainder of the game, going up 60-53 heading into the final quarter.
Colby Schroader’s second effort basket to open the fourth – drawing the foul and hitting the free throw – cut the UHA lead down to four but the Blazers went on to out-score the Marshals 15-5 to finish out the 75-61 win.
“I sensed at halftime a little bit that we were a little gassed”, Birdsong said. “Everything we seemed to shoot was a little short, we missed some put backs, some tip ins and rebounds.”
Mills led the Marshals with 24 points followed by 10 each by Driver and Smith.
“We don’t have a sparkling record, but you look at the nine games we’ve played…we’ve played a really tough schedule”, Birdsong said. “We’ve only played the top five teams in our region.”
They will meet the top team in the region, McCracken County, on Sunday in Paducah at 3:00. A game rescheduled after Friday’s weather cancellation. The first meeting between the two teams was decided in overtime – the Mustangs winning 64-53. At 12-3, they currently hold a nine game winning streak.
UHA 18 17 25 15 – 75
Marshall 15 21 17 8 – 61
UHA: Quarles 24, McGee 22, Bryan 14, Crump 13, Braxton 2
Marshall: Mills 24, Q. Smith 10, Driver 10, Miller 7, Schroader 3, Ives 3, R. Smith 2, Sedlock 1, Davis 1
