Max Parish (3) of North Union goes up for a basket. Parish scored 21 points during a win over Graham.
(Photo submitted)
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Aaron Krebehenne of North Union looks to drive the ball against an opponent. Krebehenne tallied 19 points against Graham.
(Photo submitted)
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The goal each night for a basketball team is to get on a run that will allow it to gain an advantage, and then hopefully have it lead to a victory.
Doing that once a game is a pretty good deal and being able to do a second run is that much better.
North Union boys basketball coach Brian Terrill could not believe it when reminded his Wildcat cagers were able to put together a run of at least eight points four times against St. Paris Graham.
“Our players were unselfish and there was a lot of good teamwork,” Terrill said. “Overall, we played pretty well.”
When the final seconds ticked off the clock, North Union had earned a 73-35 victory.
The win upped North Union’s overall record to 13-2 and 5-1 in the Central Buckeye Conference.
Another thing Terrill was not expecting was how the Wildcats were able to dominate the Falcons.
In the first meeting (Dec. 3) between the two teams, North Union squeaked out a 49-48 win over the Falcons (5-8, 2-4).
“We had trouble with them over there,” Terrill said.
The first scoring spurt by North Union came in the closing minutes of the first quarter.
A three-point goal by Miles Hall broke a 9-9 tie.
Zach Vernon added a close-range field goal and Aaron Krebehenne’s three-point play upped the lead to 17-9.
A three-point field goal by Graham’s Bode McGuire allowed the Falcons to close to within 17-12 by the end of the quarter.
Two free throws by Graham’s Ben Sells dropped NU’s advantage to 17-14 early in the second quarter.
North Union, though, tallied the next 11 points to earn a 28-14 lead with less than four minutes left in the second quarter.
Owen Davis had a three-point play on a drive, Krebehenne scored a pair of layups, Vernon put in a rebound hoop and Max Parish worked his way inside for two points.
The half ended with North Union leading 30-18.
The two teams exchanged three-point goals to start the third quarter.
The Wildcats then pretty much put the game away with a 15-0 run.
Parish netted five points, while Davis and Krebehenne each added four during the spurt. Hall and Vernon also had two-point goals.
North Union took a 50-23 spread into the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats posted a 23-12 edge in the final stanza, which included a 10-point run to finish the game.
Parish scorched the nets for 11 points in the quarter and finished with a game-high 21 points. Krebehenne and Davis also hit double digits with 19 and 17 points respectively.
Graham won the junior varsity game 36-30. Rylan Keever led North Union with 10 points and Tyler Krebehenne contributed eight points.
North Union was scheduled to host Springfield Shawnee on Tuesday, but the game has been postponed because of a COVID-19 outbreak at Shawnee.
It has tentatively been rescheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 8.
NU will travel to Urbana on Friday.
North Union
Draper 0-0-0, Vernon 3-0-6, Parish 9-1-21, Bright 1-0-3, Davis 5-7-17, T. Krebehenne 0-2-2, A. Krebehenne 8-1-19, Hall 2-0-5. Three-point goals: Parish 2, A. Krebehenne 2, Bright, Hall.
Graham
B. Sells 6-3-18, McGuire 2-0-6, Van Scoy 1-0-3, J. Sells 1-1-3, Goddard 2-1-5. Three-point goals: B. Sells 3, McGuire 2, Van Scoy.