North Union’s Zach Vernon (2) prepares to drive to the basket against Urbana on Friday. (Photo submitted)
In North Union’s first three boys basketball games the final outcome was not decided until the final second.
The Wildcats won two of those three games and were looking to extend a winning streak to three on Friday as they hosted Central Buckeye Conference rival Urbana.
The good news is no last-second play was needed, but that does not mean it was a stroll in the park against the Hillclimbers.
North Union came away with a 51-47 victory, holding off a fourth-quarter surge by Urbana.
“We were able to hang on for the win,” said varsity assistant coach Austin Terrill, who once again stepped in as head coach for his dad, Brian, who has not been able to coach this week because of illness.
An undersize Urbana squad scratched and clawed against the taller North Union contingent and battled back to make things close at the end.
The Wildcats (3-1 overall, 2-0 CBC), led 34-24 heading into the fourth quarter and quickly increased the margin on a layup by Aaron Krebehenne just 23 seconds into the quarter.
Urbana closed the gap to 38-32 about a minute later, but North Union was able to gain back its double-digit edge on a pair of inside baskets by Zach Vernon.
The Climbers’ Jonathan Hildebrand and Vernon traded two-pointers, giving the Wildcats a 44-34 lead with 4:40 left in the game.
North Union went more than two minutes without a point and Urbana narrowed the gap to 44-40 following a three-point goal by Hildebrand at the 2:30 mark.
A rebound basket by Vernon upped the margin to 47-42 with 1:30 left.
However, two free throws by Urbana’s Rayvon Rogan once again made it a three-point game with 36 seconds remaining.
Vernon and Owen Davis each hit two free throws down the stretch to offset a three-point goal by Landon Key to secure the win.
In scouting Urbana, Terrill said its scrappy way of playing did not come as a surprise and he thought initially the Wildcats were able to handle the pressure.
“I thought we responded well in the first three quarters of the game,” he said. “We did what we wanted offensively and defensively.”
But Terrill felt in the fourth quarter the Wildcats were not able execute the plan as well.
“We didn’t get a cushion at the end that we would have liked, but a win is a win,” he said.
North Union jumped out to an 11-4 lead to start the game, helped by two rebound baskets by Davis and a three-point goal by Krebehenne.
A three-point play by Davis gave the Wildcats a 14-7 lead, but Urbana closed out the frame on a three-point goal by Hildebrand.
North Union tallied the first seven points of the second quarter as Vernon scored from close range and hit a three-pointer.
Davis added an inside bucket.
Urbana battled back to within six at 21-15 on a basket by Will Donahoe.
The Wildcats’ Max Parish dialed it up from long range and Davis added a two-point goal, giving North Union a 26-15 lead with just over a minute before the halftime break.
A three-point goal by Key before the end of the quarter cut the margin to 26-18.
As they had done in the first two quarters, the Wildcats started strong in the third quarter, leading 32-20 with 3:16 left on an inside basket by Vernon.
A buzzer-beating layup by Parish gave North Union its 34-24 lead with one quarter left to play.
Being put to the test in the early games may prove to be a help along the way.
“This will help us down the road to find ways to win games,” Terrill said.
Vernon finished with a game-high 21 points while grabbing 17 rebounds. Davis finished with 13 points and Krebehenne added nine markers.
Hildebrand had 15 points to lead Urbana (2-1, 1-1)
Urbana won the junior varsity game 51-34.
Tyler Krebehenne paced North Union 12 points while Christian Vance and Tyler Huff had nine and eight points respectively.
North Union returns to action on Tuesday at Pleasant.
NORTH UNION
Draper 0-0-0, Vernon 7-6-21, Parish 3-1-8, Bright 0-0-0, Bolander 0-0-0, Davis 5-3-13, A. Krebehenne 4-0-9. Three-point goals: Vernon, Parish, Krebehenne.
URBANA
Key 4-0-11, Hoskins 0-0-0, Neff-Strickland 0-0-0, Rogan 1-2-4, Hildebrand 5-2-15, Donahoe 6-2-14, Dixon 1-0-3. Three-point goals: Key 3, Hildebrand 3, Dixon.