Mason Soviak of North Union leaps for a jump shot while several Marion Harding defenders attempt to block the shot during a basketball game at North Union High School on Thursday. Soviak scored four points during the Cats’ 67-34 win.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon)
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There are aspects of a basketball game where coaches will point to as the reason for a win or a loss.
For North Union on Thursday, the Cats covered all aspects of the game from defense to offense to beat Mid Ohio Athletic Conference rival Marion Harding, 67-34.
The Cats started the game with three points on a long shot by Preston Crabtree. It was followed by Harley Day beating the glass for two more points from down low.
The North Union defense, set up in 2-3 zone, allowed a few open shots from the Prexies to keep the game close at 7-5.
But after a short break, the Cats came out in a 3-2 set to shut down the long shot by the Presidents.
The Cats continued to pour on the points by working the ball both into the paint and from the outside to take a 17-7 lead after the first quarter.
“I thought our guards were really good at attacking off the dribble and either getting to the rim or kicking to open guys for threes,” said NU coach Brian Terrill. “They (Harding) couldn’t keep us in front.”
The Wildcats continued their offensive tempo in the second quarter with Day and Crabtree cleaning the glass like a set of window washers.
Terrill got a boost off the bench from Joel Krebehenne, who came in and added two putbacks as NU increased its lead to 31-13 at the half.
“I loved our energy attacking the glass,” said Terrill. “That is the best we have done all year. Preston Crabtree… I don’t even know how many rebounds he had. Harley (Day) and Mason (Soviak) had a couple each.”
After the turn, the Cats kept their foot on the gas, stretching their lead to 49-17 while holding the Prexies’ shooters to only four points in the third quarter.
The dominating effort at both ends of the court led Terrill to say that the only thing left for his team to accomplish now is consistency.
“If we can string four or five (games) together like that, then that’s when you know you are coming along,” he said. “That is the next step. Can we put a bunch of games together with that intensity?
“We know that we can play with the big boys on any given night,” he said. “It is just a matter of doing it night-after-night.”
The final eight minutes of the game was a similar sight as the Cats kept putting points on the scoreboard.
Harding was able to make a little offensive headway as Terrill decided to sub in his bench players, who tallied 24 points.
The Presidents scored 17 points, but the deficit was too much to overcome.
The Wildcats will return to the court on Saturday when they make the trip to Galion, which defeated NU by 10 points during the two teams’ first encounter this season.
Terrill believes that if his team can bring the same game it played against Harding, it should be far better in their second meet-up.
“It was one of worst games of the year and one their best games of the year,” said Terrill. “So, can we recover 48 hours later and play like this again? That is basically what is left.”
North Union
Crabtree 5-0-13, Day 6-0-13, Feasel 4-2-10, Price 3-0-8, Krebehenne 3-0-6 Terrill 3-0-6, Deickert 1-2-4, Soviak 2-0-4, Neel 1-0-3.
Three-point goals: Crabtree 2, Price 2, Day 1, Neel 1.
Marion Harding
Rich 3-1-8, Arnold 2-0-6, Malone 2-1-6, Tyler 1-3-6, Stephens 1-1-4, Myers 0-2-2, Spiegel 1-0-2.
Three-point goals: Arnold 2, Rich 1, Malone 1, Stephens 1, Tyler 1.