Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
FRANKFORT — Four nights after pulling off a furious comeback in the final 75 seconds, Unioto led a tight game from wire-to-wire to maintain its position at the top of the Scioto Valley Conference.
On Saturday, the Shermans (10-5, 7-1 SVC) started on an 8-0 run before finising on a 5-0 run, topping a white-hot Adena program by a 50-42 final — just the Warriors’ second loss in their last 11 contests.
“We really talked to our guys about how this was going to be the most difficult game of the season for several different reasons,” Unioto coach Matt Hoops said. “Losing Zeke [Schobelock to injury] was one of them. Different guys had to fill different roles, play different minutes and start in different spots. And we had to go on the road and do it against an athletic team. So we really stressed getting off to a good start tonight, and we were able to do that.”
CREDIT: Cindy Hoops
While the Shermans never trailed, it was nip and tuck throughout with the game’s difference being between two and five points for the majority of the night.
Blake Fitch got the scoring started with a four-point surge before Blake Hoops and KB Perkins added to the lead. The Warriors (11-6, 6-3 SVC) got into the scoring column on a gorgeous step through move from Joedy Ater.
Unioto then added another four points behind Hoops and Perkins just before Lucas King helped the Warriors close the quarter on a 7-2 run — with Unioto leading 14-9.
Adena’s Cayden Lee started the second with a triple from the top of the key before Newton Hoops knocked down a midrange jumper to keep Adena at bay. Behind a driving Fitch and Perkins on the interior, the Tanks extended their lead to 20-12 before Ater splashed a corner 3 to slice into that advantage.
The teams traded blows in the final three minutes of the half, but the Shermans delivered the big blow just before the break. Blake Hoops found Perkins inside for a layup in the closing seconds to take a 24-19 lead into halftime.
The third quarter once again saw each team throwing haymakers, taking turns putting together stops before a key bucket. Adena got points from Ater, Lee and Bryson Smith, while Fitch and Perkins were able to keep the Shermans in front.
With Unioto up 32-30 — quite possibly — the most important shot of the game was knocked down by Caden Cutright. Cutright, a junior guard, delivered when Fitch drove baseline and kicked out a pass right into his shooting pocket. Cutright calmly canned the trey from the left wing, giving Unioto a 35-30 lead late in the quarter.
“He played amazing,” Fitch said of Cutright. “He stepped up when we needed it most and hit the only 3. Zeke isn’t there, so we knew someone had to hit those. He did that. I was looking for Blake but [Adena] closed out Blake. So I saw [Cutright] wide open. We work on that all the time. He stepped up big tonight.”
The Shermans, by way of Fitch, once again closed out the quarter with a bang. The sophomore crafted his way into the paint where he knocked down an eight-foot jumper to give the Shermans a 37-30 lead heading into the fourth.
At that point, Unioto appeared on the verge of running away with the game. Blake Hoops forced a turnover to start the quarter, before Fitch found Cutright for a fast break layup.
The lead eventually swelled to 41-30 before an old-fashioned three-point play from Joedy Ater provided a spark for the Warriors. Following another midrange jumper from Fitch, it was time for King to make his presence known.
The left-handed sophomore drilled triples on consecutive possessions to cut the Tanks’ lead to 43-39 with 3:39 to play.
“We knew Adena would go on a run. They’re too athletic and too talented no to,” Hoops said. “We just kind of withstood it, fought it off and took care of business. We took care of the basketball and made free throws down the stretch. Really good teams do that. We’re just thankful we were able to do that tonight.”
After Unioto had inched the lead back to 45-40, Smith finished a tough driving layup through contact to make it a 45-42 game with 1:21 to play.
Unioto’s Ashton Crace split a pair of free throws on the other end, before making the defensive play of the game on the following possession. Adena drove hard to the basket before Crace came from behind with a huge block, keeping his team’s 46-42 lead intact.
Fitch and Perkins each then extended the lead at the free throw line before the Tanks put together one last defensive stop to take firm control of the SVC title race.
Fitch led all scorers with 20 points while Perkins put together a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. King led the Warriors with 17 points and eight rebounds while Ater added 12 points.
Unioto returns to action on Tuesday when they travel to McClain. Meanwhile, Adena is off until Friday when the Warriors travel to Zane Trace for another key SVC matchup.
“We still have four away games in this second round [of SVC play],” Hoops said. “It’s not going to be easy and we know that. But we welcome the challenge and, hopefully, our guys will rise to the occasion.”
BOX SCORE
Unioto: 14-10-13-13 — 50
Adena: 9-10-11-12 — 42
Unioto: 18-42 FG, 13-15 FT, 1-9 3pt. Scoring: Fitch 20, K. Perkins 16, B. Hoops 6, Cutright 5, N. Hoops 2, Crace 1.
Adena: 14-41 FG, 9-15 FT, 5-17 3pt. Scoring: King 17, Ater 12, Lee 7, Smith 6.
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