Union County’s Cam Sanford is guarded by Hagerstown’s Trent Weiss during sectional action on March 2. Photo by Ryan Tincher.
HAGERSTOWN, Ind. – The Union County boys basketball team now has a chance to win it’s first sectional title since 2013.
The Patriots earned the ticket to Class 2A Hagerstown Sectional championship game on Friday with a 65-46 victory over the host Tigers in a battle of the Tri-Eastern Conference co-champs.
“We know we’re not done,” Union County Head Coach Jesse Moses said. “There’s four teams that felt like they could win this thing.”
After Friday night, there are now just two as Northeastern beat Centerville 49-31 in the other semifinal.
“We’re just happy to be one of them,” Moses said of being among the 32 teams remaining in the Class 2A tournament. “We feel like we have a chance to win every night.”
In a rematch of last year’s finale, the Patriots (19-6) face four-time defending champ Northeastern (15-10) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Balanced scoring helped the cause on Friday as three Patriots reached double figures in their fifth consecutive victory.
“Our guys take pride in that,” Moses said. “We’re not a one-man show. That’s a strength of ours. Our guys know on any given night, it might be your night.”
Mason Miller led the Patriots with 16 points, while Cam Sanford tossed in 14.
Cameron Donovan finished with a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Trevor Reiboldt added seven points.
Union County got off to an 8-2 advantage in the opening period before the Tigers rallied to close the gap to 13-11 by the end of the frame.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, that was as close as they would get.
“They played like a senior laden team should play,” Hagerstown Head Coach Bobby Jones said. “Everything they shot went in. They beat us to the loose balls and they beat us to the offensive rebounds.”
By halftime, the Patriots led 35-23 and they were up 51-39 after three quarters.
“You hit shots and everything feels better,” Moses said. “(Hagerstown) did everything right on a few possessions and our guys still hit a three. That hurts. It’s nice to be on the other side of it.”
The Tigers end the season at 15-8 as seniors Jalen Oliver, Drew Pyle and Trent Weiss played their final contests.
“Tonight just wasn’t our night,” Jones said. “It seemed like we couldn’t get anything going. They were one their game defensively.”
“That’s not going to overshadow what this group has accomplished this season,” Jones continued. “That’s our seventh straight winning season and our fourth straight 15-win season and our second Tri-Eastern Conference title in 10 years. These three seniors had a lot to do with that.”
Oliver topped the Tigers with 26 points and eight rebounds. Branton Payne finished with seven points.