University Heights did something that Second Region teams rarely do. They went to Lexington and won the Traditional Bank Holiday Classic hosted by Lexington Catholic. The Blazers ran past Newport 85-59 Sunday evening to complete a four-game sweep at the tournament and bring the championship trophy back home to Hopkinsville.
The Blazers broke open a close game in the second quarter when the wheels fell off the Newport wagon. UHA led 17-13 after one quarter and carried a three-point lead midway through the second quarter when Newport was whistled for a pair of technical fouls after ref calls that went against them. UHA outscored the Wildcats 27-18 in the quarter to take a 44-31 halftime lead.
After shooting 60-percent from the field in the first half, the Blazers continued their marksmanship in the second half, hitting 17-of-29 shots. The Blazers took control of the game with a 25-11 third quarter run.
For the game, UHA shot 59-percent from the field (34-of-57), including 8-of-17 from 3-point range.
Tournament MVP Kyky Tandy hit 10-of-17 shots from the field for a game-high 29 points. He added five rebounds and five assists.
Three other Blazers also reached double-figures in the contest. K.J. Crump scored 15 points and handed out four assists. Drew McGowan scored 14 points, including 4-of-6 on 3-pointers, and grabbed seven rebounds. Taquan Hollowell scored 13 points and pulled down seven rebounds.
Newport (12-2), from the 9th Region, was led by Donnie Miller’s 21 points. Makhi McGuire, Newport’s third leading scorer on the season, scored seven points before being ejected for receiving two technical fouls.
The Blazers and Wildcats could meet again in the second round of the All-A Classic State Tournament if both teams are able to advance that far. The Second Region champ plays the 10th Region champ in the first game, while Region 9 plays Region 7.
University Heights (13-2) will return to action Sunday afternoon at McCracken County’s Mustang Madness. The Blazers will play Murray (4-8) at noon. UHA beat the Tigers 77-59 last month in the season opener for both teams.