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CRESSON -- The fourth-seeded Mount Union Trojans boys basketball team went into its clash with top-seeded United ready for almost anything in the District 6 Class 2A semifinal at Mount Aloysius College Saturday afternoon.
The game turned into a shootout between the two teams going toe-to-toe all afternoon until inside three minutes of the fourth quarter. The Lions hit five of their 12 treys in the fourth quarter. All tied at 55 apiece with 2:52 showing the Lions outscored the Trojans 10-1 to claim a 65-56 win and advance to the District 6 2A Championship game back at Mount Aloysius on Thursday.
The Trojans (14-10) enter the consolation game Thursday at No. 2-seeded Southern Huntingdon (19-5). The Lions now (24-2) will face third-seeded West Branch (19-7) for the gold. The Warriors won Saturday over the Rockets 66-62 at Southern Huntingdon.
"That was the best four quarters of basketball that we played all season," Trojans head coach Scott McClain said. "We have struggled at times to play consistently and today we saw what the potential of this team is. They did all we asked. We missed some shots that hurt, but they played a tremendous game. I am proud of how the team never gave up. You must commend the Lions. We had them down in the fourth quarter and when it counted they produced the three-point shot to win. This team can play with anyone when we put that effort all together."
The Trojans spread the ball around all afternoon with Jayvien Brumbaugh hitting for a team high 18 points and Andrew Cuff spent some minutes on the bench with fouls still added 16 points to the effort. Bryce Danish worked inside for three buckets and added three treys for 13 points.
The teams started the first quarter trading treys but they both were trying to settle in with a couple turnovers apiece. The Trojans had a couple shots roll off the rim holding a one-point lead with Dylan Dishong knotting the score from the foul line for the Lions.
The Lions missed from outside. Cuff hit his second trey and Joe Marino answered with a trey. Brumbaugh hit a layup late to get the Trojans to within three points.
In the second quarter, the Trojans defense started to hold down the Lions and were handling the Lions' press well. Danish drained a trey for the Trojans to tie the game at 18 all. After a Lion bucket Danish put one back off the glass and Gabe Stewart hit a five-footer to put the Trojans up by a bucket. The Lions fought back but George Bilger hit a layup and Brumbaugh drained a trey to put the Trojans up by one at the break.
The Lions added three more treys in the third quarter outscoring the Trojans 16-12 in the frame. Brumbaugh hit for seven and Bilger and Stewart both added a bucket. Brumbaugh got his seven points all in the first four minutes of the quarter to put the Trojans up by one point again. Down the Stretch in the frame Brad Felix hit a layup and Tyler Robertson nailed a trey to open a three-point Lion lead going into the fourth quarter. Felix hit for a team-high 22 points and Robertson had 12 points for the Lions.
The Lions hit early in the fourth quarter opening a five-point lead. Danish hit a trey along with Brumbaugh and Cuff hitting and at 2:52 Brumbaugh knocked down a trey to tie the game at 55 points apiece. The Lions stayed outside working the clock and hitting two three-point shots. Robertson hit three treys and Felix hit two treys in the quarter with Felix adding a layup and one from the line as the clock ran out.
United 65, Mount Union 56
Score by Quarters
Mount Union 11 18 12 15--56
United 14 14 16 21--65
MOUNT UNION (56): Danish 5 1-2 13; Stewart 2 0-1 4; Plank 0 1-2 1; Cuff 6 2-5 16; Brumbaugh 7 1-1 18; Bilger 2 0-0 4. Totals: 22 5-10 56.
UNITED (65): Marino 3 0-0 9; Worthington 4 3-4 12; Payne 0 0-0 0; Dishong 2 1-2 6; Darr 1 0-0 2; Felix 8 3-4 22;
Robertson 5 0-0 14. Totals: 23 7-10 65.
3-point goals: Mount Union, Brumbaugh 3, Cuff 2, Danish 2; United, Robertson 4, Felix 3, Marino 3, Worthington, Dishong.