MORGANTOWN – If there’s one thing University High School boys basketball head coach Joe Schmidle can enjoy this early in the season, it’s that his team may be one of the deeper clubs he’s had while at the helm of the program.
The Hawks (1-0) opened the 2024-2025 season on Wednesday night with a 65-49 victory over the Laurel Highlands Mustangs and saw nine players touch the floor in the first quarter.
UHS had nine players score at least one field goal, while seven scored at least six points in the contest. Senior guard Chayce Adams led the way for the Hawks with 13 points and five assists, with fellow senior Zach Demidovich adding 12 points and five rebounds. UHS shot 47% from the field as a team.
“Everybody on our bench can step on the floor and play,” Schmidle said. “We can go nine or ten deep, and I think that’s something we will enjoy going forward as we get further into the season. I have confidence in any of those guys on our roster at any time because they all work hard to be good players and are also great teammates.”
Keeping fresh legs on the floor allowed the Hawks to stay active on both ends of the court throughout the game, as it seemed all five players on the court never stopped moving their feet.
The defensive intensity produced ten steals by UHS, four of which came from Adams, who Schmidle says has fit right in with the program after joining the squad over the summer.
Adams best steal of the night came as he poked the ball away from the ball-handler before saving it from going out of bounds. He chucked the ball over his head to the other end of the court where Luke Byrer was waiting with open arms. Byrer rose and threw down a reverse dunk that got the crowd off its feet.
“One thing about Chayce is that his basketball IQ on the floor is so high,” Schmidle said. “Every team has a player who can be that guy on the court who is an extension of their coach and he’s that guy for us. One thing that impressed me most tonight about Chayce was his defense. He’s gotten quicker since he’s been with us and worked really hard to become a standout defender. That, combined with his offensive ability, is an excellent combination.”
The Hawks only allowed eight points from Laurel Highlands in the opening quarter and built a 33-19 lead going into the locker room behind a 19-11 advantage in the second frame.
UHS held the Mustangs to 39% from the field, including 21% from three-point range, and grabbed 13 defensive rebounds, keeping the visitors from having many, if any, second-chance opportunities.
12 more rebounds came on the offense boards for UHS. The Hawks dished 15 assists on 28 made baskets in the contest.
Adams hit his third triple of the game with five minutes left, pulling UHS ahead 59-36 before exiting the game for the night.
The Hawks began the campaign 1-0 with an all-around team win and will travel across town to Morgantown High School this weekend for a pair of games starting on Friday at 5:00 p.m. as UHS faces Washington before meeting Huntington on Saturday morning.
BOX SCORE
Laurel Highlands 8 11 10 20 – 49
University 14 19 17 15 – 65
Laurel Highlands (2-5) – Martin 2 2-2 6 Antwan Black 3 2-2 9 Aiden Black 4 0-4 8 Varney 5 0-0 10 Smith 2 0-0 6 2 1-1 5 Packrone 2 0-0 5
University (1-0) – Adams 5 0-2 13 Demidovich 5 2-3 12 L. Byrer 4 0-1 9 Lewis 2 2-2 6 Karpinski 2 0-0 4 Barnes 3 0-0 7 J Byrer 1 0-0 2 Brown 3 0-0 6 Toler 3 0-0 6
3pt goals made – Laurel Highlands 4 (Smith 2 Black 1 Packrone 1); University 5 (Adams 3 Barnes 1 Byrer 1)
