This year’s Blackman Blaze basketball team went into the Father Ryan Christmas Tournament with a perfect 11-0 record and no intention of slowing down.

They started off the tournament with a blowout win over Hillsboro with a score of 67-31. The Blaze outscored Hillsboro 22 to 8 in the final quarter to assert their position as one of the tournament’s best teams.

In game two, the boys tried their luck against Cane Ridge, another of the tourney’s best teams. Cane Ridge came into the game flaunting a 9-0 record, and like the Blaze, they had no plans to lose this game.

The score stayed close for the entire game, but the Blaze rarely trailed. Against a very tough opponent, Blackman was still able to seal the win in round two with a final score of 64-53.

“This team has something special. When we play to our full potential, we can beat anybody,” said Donovan Sims, junior pointguard.

The third and final game was against the home team, Father Ryan. The fans at Father Ryan wanted nothing more than to upset the Blaze in the final game, but the Blaze came out hungry.

At the end of the first quarter, the Blaze found themselves up 11-9 in a close contest. However, the Blaze woke up in the second  quarter and opened up a 14 point lead at half time. The points kept coming for the Blaze and they ended up getting the win by a score of 62-34.

The Blackman Blaze won the Father Ryan Christmas Tournament and ended up keeping their undefeated season alive.

Upcoming Games:

1/15 vs. Smyrna

1/19 vs. LaVergne

1/22 @ Riverdale