Red Raiders’ early run leads to 67-43 win over EF
Jim Downey | 缅北禁地
Uniontown鈥檚 Kadrian McLee goes up strong for a layup during the third quarter of Friday鈥檚 Section 3-AAAA game against Elizabeth Forward at Uniontown.
Jim Downey | 缅北禁地
Elizabeth Forward鈥檚 Charlie Meehleib (15) sets a pick on Uniontown鈥檚 Notorious Grooms for teammate Luke Alvarez (5) in the second quarter of Friday鈥檚 Section 3-AAAA game at Uniontown.
Jim Downey | 缅北禁地
Elizabeth Forward鈥檚 Charlie Meehleib (15) posts up on Uniontown鈥檚 Kadrian McLee in the first quarter of Friday鈥檚 Section 3-AAAA game at Uniontown.
Jim Downey | 缅北禁地
Uniontown鈥檚 Tanner Uphold (23) shoots a layup around Elizabeth Forward鈥檚 Mekhi Daniels under the watchful eye of referee Alec Pieczynski during the fourth quarter of Friday鈥檚 Section 3-AAAA game at Uniontown.
The Uniontown boys closed the first quarter on a 9-4 run and didn鈥檛 look back for a 67-43 victory Friday night against visiting Elizabeth Forward in Section 3-AAAA action.
The Red Raiders pulled into a second-place tie with the Warriors behind undefeated Belle Vernon (5-0, 11-0) at 4-1. Uniontown (6-4) closes the first half of the schedule against Mount Pleasant, while the Warriors (9-4) face Belle Vernon.
鈥淲e want the kids to be happy and enjoy this one. They鈥檙e still young. We鈥檙e going to enjoy this one, too,鈥� said Uniontown coach Rob Kezmarsky. 鈥淭hat was a good win for our kids. Now we鈥檙e playing to be 5-1 in the section.
鈥淲e go to Mount Pleasant and have a chance to be 5-1 and start over. We鈥檇 be one game behind Belle Vernon.鈥�
Kezmarsky continued the thought, adding, 鈥淲e want to position ourselves as high as possible. We still want to win the section. If we don鈥檛, you want to be as high as possible.鈥�
The loss snaps Elizabeth Forward鈥檚 four-game winning streak.
鈥淭his was a good learning experience for us. We鈥檝e been kind of riding high here for a while on a four-game winning streak,鈥� said Elizabeth Forward coach Matt Loftis. 鈥淲e came in here tonight and they punched us in the mouth.
鈥淲e knew it was going to be tough. Uniontown always plays well here. The atmosphere is great here.鈥�
Loftis added, 鈥淲e needed a reset button game and this will be good for us (going into the Belle Vernon game).鈥�
Uniontown led 9-4 midway through the opening quarter, but the Warriors rallied to tie the game. That鈥檚 the closest the visitors would be with the Red Raiders holding an 18-13 lead at the end of the quarter.
鈥淲hen they start going on their run, it鈥檚 hard to get them to stop. They get you out of what you want to do. They make you uncomfortable,鈥� said Loftis. 鈥淭hey speed you up and make you take some bad shots, and the next thing you know it goes from 9-9 into whatever the run was there, and you鈥檙e into catch up.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no room for error.鈥�
The break between quarters didn鈥檛 slow Uniontown鈥檚 momentum.
The Red Raiders reeled off a 5-0 run to start the second quarter, leading Loftis to call a timeout at 6:04.
Uniontown wasn鈥檛 fazed by the timeout, continuing its pressure defense and explosive offense for an 18-4 advantage in the quarter and a 36-17 halftime lead.
And, the Red Raiders did so with players on the bench in early foul trouble.
鈥淚 thought a key part of the game was in the second quarter when we got in foul trouble and we put Tevian Richardson and Jeremiah Hager in. They gave us quality minutes. We didn鈥檛 lose anything. They accepted their role,鈥� said Kezmarsky. 鈥淲e shot the ball okay, but we passed the ball and we drove.
鈥淏akari (Wallace) was all over the floor.鈥�
Wallace finished with 14 points. Teammate Notorious Grooms scored a game-high 25 points.
Kezmarsky said another key was the defense against Elizabeth Forward鈥檚 post man Charlie Meehleib. Meehleib finished with 10 points.
鈥淲e had them scouted really well. I was so impressed,鈥� explained Kezmarsky. 鈥淲e had a good game plan. (Christian) Perkins and (Kadrian) McLee, we held the big boy under his average.
鈥淲e did a great job with them.鈥�
Mekhi Daniels led the Warriors with 14 points.
The Warriors outscored Uniontown in the third quarter, 17-16, but was unable to make up any more ground.
鈥淎ny time we went on a 4-0, 6-0 run, we were unable to take it to the necessary 10-0 or 12-0 run. That鈥檚 a credit to them,鈥� said Loftis. 鈥淭hey made some tough shots, especially in the second half.
鈥淭hey played well. They were the aggressor. They beat us on the boards.鈥�