Union Local had “the Hangar” rocking last night with the band playing, a packed student section, and a live tv audience as well. This was as good as atmosphere that I’ve seen for a high school basketball game. All this in front of a standing room only plus crowd in Morristown last night for the much-anticipated matchup between the Wheeling Park Patriots and the Union Local Jets.
The Patriots came into the contest last night with only 2 losses on the season, the Jets were undefeated and recent 3A OVAC Championship winners. As expected, this game did not disappoint anyone in attendance or anyone watching at home on tv.
Park started the game with their vaunted full court pressure, which lead to some steals but also some fast break points for the Jets.
Reagan Vinskovich was a force from the start in the post. You could see that Union Local’s game plan was to get the ball to Vinskovich in the post and let her go against Park’s smaller lineup. Being able to handle Park’s pressure and with the ability to get Vinskovich the ball in the post the hosts led after the first 15-13.
It was much of the same in the second period as the Patriots kept up the pressure and the Jets were using their size down low in the post. A difference in the quarter was that Park began to hit some shots that they were missing in the first half.
Union Locals big two of Torre Kildow and Vinskovich were able to keep the Jets within four at the half due to Kildow’s 7 (she finished with 12) points and Vinskovich’s 15 (completed the contest with 23).
Park had a little more balanced attack at the break, but 10 from LaLa Woods and 9 from Alexis Bordas allowed the visitors to take a 31-27 lead going into halftime.
Wheeling Park started the third quarter with a 5-0 run that put them up 9. This resulted in a Union Local timeout and some adjustments from coach Tolzda. The Patriots pressure started to get to the Jets early in this 3rd quarter, giving the visitors some turnovers and quick one and done’s on the offensive end for the Jets.
Just as it looked like the Patriots were going to pull away from the home standing Jets, the hosts went on a run themselves. Their tough man defense and efficient offense allowed the Jets to pull within 1 as Lauren Miller hit a 3 ball with just 1:30 left in the 3rd. Park’s Coach Young took a timeout to stop the Jets run and to calm the troops down.
Union Local was able to keep Park at bay for the rest of the quarter and went into the 4th only trailing 40-41.
Union Local was able to score early in the 4th but went cold and didn’t score another point until the final buzzer. Kildow was able to get an old school three-point play to get the Jets within 3.
It was all Patriots after that with LaLa Woods hitting a couple long bombs, allowing her to finish with 24. And some key free throw shooting from Woods, Bordas, 15 points for the night, Sophie Abraham 6 on the evening, and Jillian Huffman, ended the game with 10.
All told for the game Park only missed 1 free throw out of 20 attempts. Union Local misfired on 10 of 19 attempts.
As the clock hit 0:00 the score was 61-49 in favor of the Patriots, in no way is this an indication of how closely of a contested game this was. Union Local finishes at 21-1 and is on to their state tournament play.
Wheeling Park has one more regular season game at home against George Washington this Friday before sectional play begins. Good luck to both teams in the postseason. Ovathletics.com will be following the action along the way.
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