UNION SPRINGS - The Union Springs Wolves controlled the play for all of Friday night's game against Lansing - except when it mattered most.
Glenn Gaston / Special to The Citizen
Union Springs' Bryan McClary finishes a fast break in front of Lansing's Teagan Barresi during Friday night's game in Union Springs.
Union Springs' Bryan McClary finishes a fast break in front of Lansing's Teagan Barresi during Friday night's game in Union Springs.
The Bobcats, led by Teagan Barresi's game-high 15 points, took their first lead in the fourth quarter and pulled away for a 52-46 victory in an IAC Division III boys basketball game.
“We played hard for three quarters, but we didn't finish the job,” Wolves point guard Nate Gavitt said. “We didn't finish the job in the fourth quarter, and that's the most important part.”
Lansing (13-2), meanwhile, turned it up in the final frame. Barresi, who also had three rebounds, started the fourth quarter by hitting the Bobcats' first seven points - his last basket coming on a deep 3-pointer - to spark a 13-5 Lansing run that turned out to be the difference.
“That hurt us pretty bad,” Union Springs coach Tim Darnell said of Barresi's 3-pointer. “And then he started posting up on us. I think he did most of the damage to us.”
But the Wolves (12-3) weren't exactly helping themselves, either. They only managed a dismal 3-of-12 performance from the field in the final eight minutes and failed to come up with some key defensive rebounds that kept the ball in the hands of the Bobcats.
In total, Union Springs won the battle on the glass grabbing 24 rebounds to Lansing's 18. But down the stretch, the Bobcats crashed the boards and took control.
“The rebounds we gave up were at a poor time,” Darnell said. “Their rebounds were more timely than ours.”
Lansing outrebounded Union Springs 8-5 in the fourth quarter.
But the Wolves went down swinging.
Bryan McClary, who scored a team-high 12 points, made an acrobatic left-handed put-back on a Pat Crowley miss to keep the Wolves within six with 1:28 to play.
When Crowley hit a 3-pointer with 19.9 seconds left, Union Springs only trailed 51-46 and still had a chance.
But they forfeited any attempt of a comeback when they missed a rebound on a Lansing free throw. It bounced off the hands of two Wolves before the Bobcats took control on offense, all but guaranteeing a Lansing victory.
Crowley, who is the Wolves' second-leading scorer with 13.2 points per game, spent almost half the game on the bench with foul trouble.
He missed almost the entire third quarter and sat out the first three minutes of the fourth.
“He's a leader, he passes the ball well, and he's one of our better rebounders,” Darnell said. “When he's not on the floor it makes a difference. ”
Julius McClary came off the bench and played well, but the Wolves just didn't have enough in the end.
Despite the late struggles, Union Springs came out hungry in the first quarter.
Four different Wolves hit jumpers in the opening three minutes to give Union Springs an early 8-2 lead. The Wolves finished the first quarter 6-of-9 shooting for a 14-10 lead.
Meanwhile, the Wolves' man-to-man defense smothered the Bobcats down low, taking away all the space beneath the basket and forcing outside shots.
The Wolves led 26-22 at halftime, but the third quarter was evenly played, and the score was tied four different times, including at 36 when the buzzer sounded.
The Wolves failed to execute in the game's final minutes, though, ultimately sealing their fate.
“(Lansing) made the plays at the end and we didn't,” a disgusted Darnell said. “That's pretty much what it comes down to.”
“We played hard for three quarters, but we didn't finish the job,” Wolves point guard Nate Gavitt said. “We didn't finish the job in the fourth quarter, and that's the most important part.”
Lansing (13-2), meanwhile, turned it up in the final frame. Barresi, who also had three rebounds, started the fourth quarter by hitting the Bobcats' first seven points - his last basket coming on a deep 3-pointer - to spark a 13-5 Lansing run that turned out to be the difference.
“That hurt us pretty bad,” Union Springs coach Tim Darnell said of Barresi's 3-pointer. “And then he started posting up on us. I think he did most of the damage to us.”
But the Wolves (12-3) weren't exactly helping themselves, either. They only managed a dismal 3-of-12 performance from the field in the final eight minutes and failed to come up with some key defensive rebounds that kept the ball in the hands of the Bobcats.
In total, Union Springs won the battle on the glass grabbing 24 rebounds to Lansing's 18. But down the stretch, the Bobcats crashed the boards and took control.
“The rebounds we gave up were at a poor time,” Darnell said. “Their rebounds were more timely than ours.”
Lansing outrebounded Union Springs 8-5 in the fourth quarter.
But the Wolves went down swinging.
Bryan McClary, who scored a team-high 12 points, made an acrobatic left-handed put-back on a Pat Crowley miss to keep the Wolves within six with 1:28 to play.
When Crowley hit a 3-pointer with 19.9 seconds left, Union Springs only trailed 51-46 and still had a chance.
But they forfeited any attempt of a comeback when they missed a rebound on a Lansing free throw. It bounced off the hands of two Wolves before the Bobcats took control on offense, all but guaranteeing a Lansing victory.
Crowley, who is the Wolves' second-leading scorer with 13.2 points per game, spent almost half the game on the bench with foul trouble.
He missed almost the entire third quarter and sat out the first three minutes of the fourth.
“He's a leader, he passes the ball well, and he's one of our better rebounders,” Darnell said. “When he's not on the floor it makes a difference. ”
Julius McClary came off the bench and played well, but the Wolves just didn't have enough in the end.
Despite the late struggles, Union Springs came out hungry in the first quarter.
Four different Wolves hit jumpers in the opening three minutes to give Union Springs an early 8-2 lead. The Wolves finished the first quarter 6-of-9 shooting for a 14-10 lead.
Meanwhile, the Wolves' man-to-man defense smothered the Bobcats down low, taking away all the space beneath the basket and forcing outside shots.
The Wolves led 26-22 at halftime, but the third quarter was evenly played, and the score was tied four different times, including at 36 when the buzzer sounded.
The Wolves failed to execute in the game's final minutes, though, ultimately sealing their fate.
“(Lansing) made the plays at the end and we didn't,” a disgusted Darnell said. “That's pretty much what it comes down to.”
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