Ashland Blazer gets hot late to oust Calloway County from Boys’ Sweet 16
Going into the fourth quarter clinging to a three-point lead, Ashland Blazer struck on an incredibly effective strategy against Calloway County in Wednesday’s final first round game of the 2025 UK Healthcare Boys’ Basketball Sweet 16 state tournament at Rupp Arena.
Step 1: Give the ball to Zander Carter.
Step 2: Make nearly every shot you take.
Carter scored 22 of his game-high 29 points in the second half and the Tomcats as a whole made 12 of their 13 field goal attempts in the fourth quarter as Ashland pulled away to an 81-64 win to advance to Friday’s quarterfinals.
“Our guys did a much better job in the second half of just continuously staying in attack mode. And you know, it’s a luxury for me as a basketball coach — I can just get it across and give the ball to (Carter) and let him do something,” Ashland coach Ryan Bonner said. “There were quite a few possessions where he made me look like a really good basketball coach. So thank you for that. Zander, appreciate it.”
Carter responded: “No problem.”
Carter had little problem with the Lakers’ defense over the last 10 minutes. He scored the Tomcats’ last eight points of the third period to help Ashland take a 49-46 at the final break. Calloway had tied the game 42-42 and 44-44 moments earlier.
Then, Carter scored 13 points, making all five of his field goal attempts, and added three of his game-high eight assists in the fourth. Each of those went to a 3-point shooter. Drew Smith knocked one down for a 59-52 lead with 3:56 to go, hit another for a 65-55 edge with 3:13 to go and Justin Hughes cashed the last for a 77-60 lead with 1:11 left.
“I feel like it’s just a testament to how close we are in that locker room, and we really just have a brotherhood back there,” Carter said of the Tomcats ability to close out the game on such a run. “And I know if it’s not me, I’m going to trust these guys and every person in that locker room to step up and make a shot.”
Ashland outscored Calloway 37-20 from the moment the game was tied at 44 with 2:10 left in the third quarter. Smith and Preston Hoskins each made 4-of-6 3-pointers to tally 16 and 13 points, respectively. The Tomcats dished out 22 assists on 32 made baskets. Sophomore guard Elijah Neel dealt Ashland’s second-most dimes with six.
“I thought we made a couple nice runs to keep it within distance. And we felt pretty good, really, coming out of the third quarter,” Calloway County coach Brad Cleaver said. “They were very, very efficient in the fourth quarter. … Their efficiency there was pretty remarkable.”
Calloway County (31-4) trailed by as many as 13 points early in the second quarter but rallied to tie it 42-42 with 3:20 left in the third quarter when Jonah Butler, Calloway’s 1st Region player of the year, made a leaping grab of an attempted Ashland outlet pass and drove in for a layup. His 23 points led three other Lakers in double figures, Conner Lockhart with 16, Luke Armstrong, 13 and Eli Finley, 11.
Next, Ashland Blazer (24-7) will face Bowling Green in Friday’s 11 a.m. quarterfinal. The Purples (29-6) defeated the Tomcats 61-55 at Woodford County’s Ed Stepp Classic on Feb. 1.
