Unioto 63 final
... Great game ... 2 large fan bases ... both watching the only game in town ... Vinton County, Unioto no matter which team you supported you can't be disappointed by how either of these 2 teams performed - wow ! ... anytime you have teams get this far , as a fan you just hope that the games of the district final variety are "good games" - tonight's matchup ended up being a GREAT game ... a game played by 2 teams, 2 programs that have been the face of SEOhio basketball for the last few years ... I don't know about you but I HATE to watch these games !!! the games themselves are ALL GOOD but dang it someone has to end up on the short end of the score even if it's a 1 point win like tonight ... the results mean one of the teams goes home ... Vinton County 64 Unioto 63 a final ...
IF I didn't learn something tonight watching this game and sitting among the "masters of the coaching world - Coach Maddox, Coach Mitchem, Coach Coffman from Warren ... Coach Goodyear "the younger" and Coach Helber for Fairfield Union ... Coach Stiverson, Coach Holbert, Coach Dropsey for Logan Elm ... shame on me ! - my basketball IQ increased 2 fold just breathing the same air as these guys !!! LOL ...
... When pressed before the game - I took Vinton County for the win ... I thought VC could/would put pressure on the ball vs Unioto ... I thought a Unioto weakness was ballhandling in the backcourt ... the game started like I actually knew what I was talking about as the U opened the game with 5 early turnovers - VC turned 2 into transition buckets ... as the quarter moved along it had the Shermans actually hitting a high percentage from the floor inside and out ... the game plan looked to be to attack the interior of the VC defense as UHS had a decided advantage in the paint with Gavin Ogan and Peyton Hill both 6-5 ... both able to stay in the game ... both athletic, Peyton Hill showed his hand early picking up 10 first quarter points in the paint ... he was not alone in the scoring as he was joined by the Sherman's deep threat - Brandon Kennedy - 2 treys and 6 points in the 1st ... Logan Swackhammer added 2 points to round out the UHS scoring ... Vinton County had the usual cast of characters dent the scoring column - the Vikes Big 3 of Jones/Yates/Bartoe chipped in a combined 6 fgs - each donating 2 fgs a piece - Bartoe 4 pts/Yates 4 pts & Jones 5 ... Unioto 18 Vinton County 13 end of one ... just as the first quarter saw VC struggle offensively - ALL due to the outstanding D thrown up by the U - all bodies "clogged" the paint - as every VC possession was met with bodies cutting off penetration in the paint - far enough out that VC was the team turning the ball over -( 4 in the second /6 for the first half) ... Logan Swackhammer provided balance to the UHS offense as the junior PG put up 8 points in the 2nd period - draining back to back triples to go with a 2 point driving layup ... one of the VC POY candidates Tristan Bartoe continued to attack the UHS defense keeping VC in contact with the U - Bartoe added 9 pts in the 2nd to go with 4 in the first for 13 first half points for the Vikings ... Unioto stretched out its' lead going into the half to 8 points ... a chink in the U's armor stood out - FT shooting - (vs LE the U was 14/23 for the game ... in the first half of action tonight the Sherman's went 4/10 ) an 8 point lead could have been double figures ... Unioto 34 Vinton County 26 intermission ... Quarter 3 had Unioto getting BIG MAN in middle Peyton HIll rolling again as the big man added 9 points in the 3rd frame - unfortunately for the U Hill was the ONLY offence to show up in the 3rd ... Vinton County took matters into their own hands by adding MY PICK as the man who decides how far the Vikings go in the post season - Jake Speakman ... the ultimate role player - one who can score BUT is comfortable letting the Big 3 of Bartoe/Jones/Yates do their thing as he distributes the ball, penetrates and dishes ... tonight VC NEEDED Mr. Speakman to add some scoring , to jump start the VC offense - Speakman dropped 6 pts in the quarter ... Derick Jones & Tristan Bartoe took the cue from Speakman as both attacked the rim - both getting to the rim were then able to get enough separation on the perimeter to each add a triple in the quarter - Vinton County put up 21 points while holding the U to 11 pts. ... VC got all the way back into the game taking a 44-43 lead with 1:22 to go in the 3rd ... both teams took care of the ball only 2 TOs each in the 3rd ... Vinton County 47 Unioto 45 end of three ... neither team was going to relinquish thoughts of becoming District Champs as NO ONE gave this one away - everything was earned in the 4th ... Tristan Bartoe /Derick Jones and Jake Speakman carried the torch for VC ... Peyton Hill & Swack kept the U's hopes alive ... the VC lead never got more than 4 points while the lead changed hands multiple time ... as time wound down VC led 58-59 with 1:51 to play ... VC 61 Unioto 60 with :58 seconds left ... VC 64-60 at the :17 mark ... a Peyton Hill triple making it VC 64 the U 63 with 1.9 to play ... VC inbounded to Naylan Yates ... foul ... Yates to the line for 2 with .8 in the game Unioto TO ... Yates missed the first ... intentionally missed the second ... Swack with a 75 foot desperation shot as time was running out - it looked good all the way to the rim where Tre' Ivey almost got the basket assist ... Vinton County survives and advances 64-63 a final ...
... Pfloyd's Official "unofficial" Napkin Stats - Unioto ...
Scoring ... Peyton Hill 28, Logan Swackhammer 14, Brandon Kennedy 9, Casey White 4, Gavin Ogan 3, Clay Elder 3, Gabe Fisher 2
3 Pointers ... 5/15 ... Logan Swackhammer 2, Brandon Kennedy 2, Peyton Hill 1
FTs ... 14/25
TOs .... 10
PntP ..... 30
Points in Transition ... 0
... Pfloyd's Official "unofficial" Napkin Stats - Vinton County ...
Scoring ... Tristan Bartoe 27, Derick Jones 20, Jake Speakman 8, Bryce Damron 5, Naylan Yates 4
3 Pointers ...... 4/10 ... Derick Jones 2, Tristan Bartoe 2
FTs ....... 16/22
TOs ..... 11
PntP .... 34
Points in Transition ... 4
... the U did everything right - I had this on my napkin stats in the first half " the U outsized VC, outrebounded VC, outscored VC, out quicked VC - in that first half the U did everything right - a great defensive plan and execution by the Shermans on the floor ... UHS got the ball where they had the decided advantage - inside to Peyton Hill - an outstanding game by PH ... where I thought VC would take advantage of the U was vs the ballhandlers on the perimeter - I thought VC could turn the U over - not even close on my part as Swack & Co. after the initial 5 TOs in the first had ONLY 5 for the last 3 quarters ... when 2 coaching staffs have created great game plans & get their players to execute on the court and play disciplined ball to boot - the outcome of the game lies in the hands of the players who not only have "IT" but players who want the ball ... Tristan Bartoe for VC and Swack for the U are those players ... as Lou called Tristan Bartoe in the game intro "Sweet T Tristan Bartoe" was not going to let the Vikings lose tonight - along with his other 3 amigos ... opponents can take away one of the 4 VC guards from the scoring column - it happens - to shutdown all 4 for 4 quarters is next to impossible - the VC MO is that they are relentless in their attack on the rim ... Unioto took away the perimeter 3 ball ... forced VC into the paint where they were bottled up over and over again - but as they say "you have to win with what brung ya" - VC is where they are based on the penetration of the 4 guards - Bartoe/Yates/Jones/Speakman ... outstanding players ... best of luck in regional action next week !
