Union Catholic Boys Basketball Puts Up Fight Against Cranford

The Union Catholic boys’ basketball team was anxious to play a game again after last playing one 10 days ago.

It took the visiting Vikings awhile to get going Friday night, but once they did they took a lead and appeared like they might be on their way to another victory.

Host Cranford surrendered a double-digit advantage on the scoreboard, but found a way to come back in the fourth quarter to steal away a Union County Conference-Mountain Division victory.

The Cougars prevailed 59-56 in a roller coaster of a game that thrilled fans in a packed Martin Gymnasium at Cranford High School.

Cranford got off to a big lead first before Union Catholic chipped away and then took a double-digit lead of its own. The home team Cougars then came back in the fourth quarter to pull out a hard-earned and somewhat dramatic triumph.

Cranford won for the first time since Dec. 22, snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 3-3 overall and 3-0 in the Mountain Division. A little over 24 hours earlier, the Cougars were thumped at home by Westfield 45-24 in a non-league contest.

Cranford was outscored by Westfield 9-0 in the first quarter. Friday night, the Cougars outscored Union Catholic 24-7 in the initial period, hitting 11 of their 16 field goal attempts to produce just as many points as they scored in four quarters against the Blue Devils.

Union Catholic - which had not played since Dec. 29 and fell to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the Mountain Division - gradually chipped away at Cranford’s lead beginning in the second quarter when the Vikings outscored the Cougars 18-7 to pull to within 31-25 at intermission.

Union Catholic then stepped it up a notch in the third quarter by producing runs of 14-0 and 19-2 to take the first of its two 10-point leads at 49-39. The Vikings won the period 24-11.

Scoring in the 14-0 surge were junior guard Brian Flores the first four points and six total, junior forward Jamaad Nash three – Nash finished with 12 points total – and senior forward Zach Dlabik five, his first of two 3s making the score 45-37 UC after the Vikings trailed 37-31.

A 3-point basket by Cranford senior guard Nick Pace with just 30 seconds let in the third quarter – which turned out to be huge – got Cranford to within 49-42 heading into the fourth quarter.

“We had to convert on offense and play good defense the rest of the game,” said Cranford senior forward Will Green, who poured in 17 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and made the winning basket.

Then Flores opened the fourth quarter with a 3-point basket to put Union Catholic back up by 10 at 52-42. Flores led the Vikings with an outstanding 21-point performance that included two third-quarter steals and one fourth-quarter block

Cranford didn’t panic, which allowed them to get back into the game and eventually win it.

Senior guard Kendall Grier came up big by hitting his second 3-point field goal, this one from the top of the key to begin a 6-0 run that got it to 52-48. Grier finished with six points.

Green scored the other three points in the mini run, the first two on an offensive rebound and putback and the third on his first successful free throw attempt after missing his first four.

After a layup by Flores put the Vikings up 54-48 – Flores led his team with an outstanding 21-point performance – Green drove in the lane for another basket and then sophomore center Chris Gross scored inside and was fouled.

Gross poured in a career-high 21 points, netting his first 13 in Cranford’s prolific first quarter.

After Gross missed the ensuing free throw – Cranford missed 11-of-16 which was a continuation from the Westfield game when it misfired 10-of-13 times – Flores scored what would be Union Catholic’s final points on two free throws.

The Vikings led 56-52 with 2:46 left.

Cranford ended up scoring the game’s final seven points.

Flores fouled Green and this time Green made both free throw attempts after previously going 1-for-4 from the charity stripe. Those were two big points that pulled Cranford to within two at 56-54.

Cranford called a timeout with 2:37 left and then Union Catholic turned the ball over with 2:17 remaining.

Gross tied the game at 56-56 - which was only the contest’s second tie and first since 37-37 midway through the third quarter – with 1:54 left after successfully driving through the lane and putting the ball in for his final points. Everyone waited in anticipation as the ball slowly rolled along the rim before falling in.

Union Catholic turned the ball over once again with 1:29 left. The Vikings were also plagued by turnovers in the first quarter, especially right at the beginning when they turned it over on their first four possessions, three as a result of Cranford steals by junior guard Sean Trotter (2) and Gross.

Grier then took a shot for Cranford that missed, with Union Catholic regaining possession. Grier was then able to steal the ball away from Dlabik, who had a fine game that included 13 points and six rebounds.

Pace brought the ball past half court and then made his move toward the lane, sneaking his 5-10 frame inside the paint before dishing off to Green, who was in perfect position.

Green quickly took the pass and went strong to the hoop at the left side, putting the ball in off the glass and getting fouled. His seventh and final basket of the game gave Cranford back the lead fir good at 58-56.

Green showed true senior leadership in the fourth quarter

It was the second lead of the game for the Cougars and their first since being ahead 37-35 in the third quarter.

Union Catholic 6-11 junior center Mike Marciano was the player that fouled Green on the play, which was Marciano’s fifth, knocking him out of the game. Marciano was held to just two points on one hook shot field goal he made in the second quarter

Now with just 45.8 seconds left, Green missed the following free throw attempt.

Union Catholic brought the ball back down, but Flores missed a 3-point attempt from the top of the key with 30.3 seconds remaining. The Vikings fouled with 24.9 seconds left.

Green missed another free throw attempt. After a Cranford foul, the Vikings’ Brandon Vargo had a 1-and-1 on the free throw line with 24.5 seconds remaining.

Vargo missed the first attempt, but Union Catholic got the ball back. Dlabik and then Herren were able to get shots off, but both fell short, with Cranford gaining possession under the basket with 16.4 seconds left.

Pace was fouled and went to the line with the Cougars in the double bonus, so he had two shots. After missing the first, he made the second to make the score 59-56.

After the clock was properly reset at 13.1 seconds left, Herren dribbled past half court on the right, threw a pass to Flores beyond the 3-point line on the left and then Flores let go of a shot that had the look of it going in.

However, it hit the rim and bounced in front of Green, who just made sure the loose ball stayed in front of him as the final buzzer sounded.

NOTES: In addition to the 13 points Gross netted in the first quarter, Cranford received a 3-point basket from Grier, three field goals from Trotter and one from senior guard Greg Goode.

Cranford made five of its first six shots, eight of its first 10 and 11 of its first 15 before missing its final shot of the period.

The Cougars built leads of 9-0 – just one day after trailing 9-0 in the first to Westfield – 15-3, 19-6 and then 24-7 after Grier’s first of his two 3-point baskets went in from the right side.

Union Catholic shot just 2-for-9 in the period and committed seven turnovers total

Cranford shot just 3-of-15 in the second quarter, while Union Catholic was much better at 8-of-11

Gross scored the first two baskets of the game, the second after grabbing his first offensive rebound. The 6-5 presence also showed he could score from the outside by making a 3-point field goal from the top of the key to give Cranford it’s 9-0 lead.

Union Catholic has three games scheduled next week, with two of them league contests. First is Hillside Tuesday night at home at 7 p.m. followed by Johnson next Friday night at home at 7 p.m. The Vikings will then play non-league opponent St. Mary’s of Elizabeth, Jan. 16 at 2 p.m.

UNION COUNTY CONFERENCE-MOUNTAIN DIVISION GAME

UNION CATHOLIC (3-2)                  7         18         24         7 - 56

CRANFORD (3-3)                           24           7        11        17 - 59

UNION CATHOLIC (56): Brian Flores 4-3-4-21, Dave Herren 2-1-1-8, Zach Dlabik 3-2-1-13, Jamaad Nash 5-0-2-12, Mike Marciano 1-0-0-2, Chaz Carter 0-0-0-0, Marco Panlilio 0-0-0-0, Brandon Vargo 0-0-0-0. Totals: 15-6-8-56.

CRANFORD (59): Sean Trotter 3-1-1-10, Will Green 7-0-3-17, Chris Gross 9-1-0-21, Greg Goode 1-0-1-3, Nick Pace 1-0-0-2, Kendall Grier 0-2-0-6, Bryan Fitzsimmons 0-0-0-0, Spencer Frieri 0-0-0-0, Joe Papandrea 0-0-0-0. Totals: 21-4-5-59.

2009-2010 UNION CATHOLIC VIKINGS

BOYS' BASKETBALL:

14-Anthony Calenda, junior forward, (6-1), from Colonia

21-Chaz Carter, senior guard, (5-11), from West Orange

12-Zach Dlabik, senior forward, (6-0), from Edison

24-Brian Flores, junior guard, (6-2), from Union

5-Dave Herren, senior guard, (6-1), from Edison

10-Drew Hines, junior guard, (5-10), from Roselle

31-Ebentz Hyppolite, senior center, (5-9), from Plainfield

25-Mike Marciano, junior center, (6-11), from Rahway

23-Jamaad Nash, junior forward, (6-4), from Plainfield

3-Marco Panlilio, senior guard, (5-10), from Elizabeth

4-Kevin Polt, junior guard, (5-9), from Colonia

20-Brandon Reid, sophomore forward, (6-3), from Newark

34-Brandon Vargo, junior forward, (6-3), from Edison

2009-2010 SCHEDULE/results (3-2):

Dec. 18 (H) Union Catholic 53, Rahway 47

Dec. 19 Dunellen, 7 p.m. – snowed out

Dec. 22 (H) Union Catholic 63, Gov. Livingston 3

AL LOBALBO TOURNAMENT AT ST. MARY’S, ELIZABETH

Dec. 28 (A) Morristown-Beard 53, Union Catholic 51

Dec 29 (A) Union Catholic 60, St. Mary’s 54

Jan. 8 (A) Cranford 59, Union Catholic 56

Jan. 12 Hillside, 7 p.m.

Jan. 15 Johnson, 7 p.m.

Jan. 16 St. Mary's, Elizabeth, 2 p.m.

Jan. 19 at Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 4 p.m.

Jan. 21 New Providence, 7 p.m.

Jan. 22 at Summit, 7 p.m.

Jan. 26 at Roselle, 4 p.m.

Jan. 28 at Rahway, TBA

Jan. 29 at Governor Livingston, 7 p.m.

Feb. 2 Cranford, 7 p.m.

Feb. 5 at Johnson, 7 p.m.

Feb. 9 Summit, 7 p.m.

Feb. 11 at Hillside, 4 p.m.

Feb. 12 Roselle, 7 p.m.

Feb. 20 St. Mary's, Jersey City, TBA

Feb. 23 Somerville, 7 p.m.