University fends off Sego, Tigers to claim regional championship

LEBANON – University hit just enough shots to overcome a heroic performance by Triton Central’s Eli Sego and capture the program’s second regional title.

Josh Henderson scored six of his team’s 11 fourth-quarter points and Faisal Mohamud and Blake Gray sank three free throws in the final 20 seconds Saturday to seal a 44-43 Class 2A regional championship victory for the Trailblazers.

On Sunday, the IHSAA announced University (18-9) will face Class 2A, No. 11 Linton-Stockton (21-6) in the second semifinal game of the Washington Semistate. In the opener at the Hatchet House, No. 4 Parke Heritage (24-4) battles Forest Park (19-6).

The third quarter was the difference Saturday afternoon at Rosenstihl Gymnasium at Lebanon High School.

After the two teams played to an 18-all tie at halftime, the Trailblazers missed just one shot attempt in the third quarter and outscored the Tigers 15-7 to take a 33-25 lead.

“We have been a second half team the last few weeks,” said University head coach Justin Blanding. “Our kids never panic. They live in the moment and that’s what they did.”

Gray and Mohamud hit three 3s in the quarter and the Trailblazers were 6-of-7 from the field.

Sego was not going down without a fight despite his team struggling to finish scoring opportunities. The junior guard splashed four three-pointers in the final eight minutes and scored 16 of his season-high 30 points, but it wasn’t enough.

University junior guard Blake Gray did not miss a shot until the fourth quarter and finished with a team-high 17 points.

“He likes big moments like that. He really does,” said Blanding. “We knew this game, they were going to try and take (Max) McComb away. We told (Gray) he has to step up and do what he does.”

While Gray was steady throughout, sophomore forward Josh Henderson scored six points in the fourth quarter, including back-to-back baskets in a 50-second span that ended an 11-4 run for the Tigers.

“We are glad to have him back. He has been hurt all year but he is back with us now,” said Blanding. “He makes a huge difference for us on the interior. For him as a sophomore who hasn’t played a lot of varsity, he is not afraid of the moment either.”

Henderson’s final points made it 41-36. Sego scored at the other end with 26 seconds to go. Mohamud was fouled and hit both free throws six seconds later.

Sego again scored on a drive to the rim with 15 seconds on the clock. Gray was fouled and hit the second of two free throws to make it 44-40.

Sego rushed up court and hit another 3 but the Tigers did not have a timeout left to stop the clock and University let the time run out without inbounding the ball.

Gray also had four steals, two rebounds, one assist and one blocked shot.

Mohamud finished with 10 points and three rebounds. Henderson came off the bench to score eight points and grab two rebounds.

Sego’s 30 points came on 10-of-15 shooting, including six 3s. He also had three rebounds but only three other Tigers scored in the loss.

“We knew we weren’t going to stop Sego. He is a heck of a player,” said Blanding. “We knew we had to make some plays on everyone around him. We knew we had to stop everybody else. We knew we couldn’t stop the kid (Sego).”

Silas Blair finished with six points and two assists in his final game as a Tiger. Grant Long had four points and three rebounds. Max Crouse finished with three points.

Triton Central closed out the season with a 16-10 record. Blair, Sam Collier, Gavin Morgan and Rex Lory will be lost to graduation but three junior starters in Sego, Crouse and Long return with five sophomores -- Brody Ciriello, Cael Butler, Jackson Faust, Henry Kemper and Brayden Hoover – in line for more varsity minutes.

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