River Valley 66 Unioto 65 OT Regional SemiFinal ...
Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2025 2:25 pm
River Valley 66
Unioto 65 a final OT
...as a fan of high school basketball, boys post season high school basketball in particular, mainly due to the physicality that is allowed in the games vs ticky-tack fouls often called in the regular season , the urgency to not lose , putting everything on the line for something bigger than yourself - TEAM ... last nights' game between the Shermans of Unioto and the Vikings of River Valley pushed the limits - the games within the game ... I watched the back and forth between Blake Fitch of the U vs Sawyer Weston of RV - a battle for 32 minutes just getting the ball up court ... both players handled it well, neither complained , both took on the challenge ... both will be feeling it physically for days ... great high school basketball game, one of the loudest crowds I have heard at the Convo in the 2 weeks so far ... the crowd WAS a BIG part of the ebb and flow of the game last night as both teams had outstanding runs offensively that brought THEIR faithful into the game 110% ... THAT'S what high school basketball is all about - great play on the court for 32 minutes by the players and 32 minutes of fans becoming one with the players & the game ...LAST NIGHT it was 32 minutes with a bonus 4 minutes! ... River Valley 66 Unioto 65 OT a final ...
... Coach Combs of Unioto could not have been more satisfied after quarter one and how his Shermans' started the game ... offensively the U brought it from all levels jr PG Blake Fitch hit a 15 footer for 2 ... 5-10 Caden Cutright put the myth of the difficulties shooting in the Convo from behind the arc to bed as he drained the 1st of 2 opening quarter three pointers for the senior (6pts) ... running mate 6-2 sr Blake Hoops led all scorers in the first frame was perfect from the field knocking down a pair of 3 pointers - 6pts and 3/3 from the free throw stripe 9pts in the qtr.... 6-5 sr post player Kb Perkins did what bigs are supposed to do - scored in the paint - 2pts and if you don't score you get to the line - Perkins fouled down low - make/make 4 pts in the period ... to complete the Sherman opening quarter all the recipe needed was bench scoring for seasoning - Isaac Coy delivered with a blow-by drive and finish 2pts ... the U with an opening 23 point handoff to RV ... post season basketball is all about KNOWING that teams are going to make runs (the U with a 5-0 run vs RV in the first 3 minutes of play)... teams are going to "punch you in the mouth" at some point both figuratively and literally in the one and done season - the nature of the beast ... as a TEAM you understand it, expect it , & aren't taken aback by it ... if you accept it as "part of the game" and stick to the game plan - you will have a chance to survive and advance, IF you panic, let the runs turn into quarters of havoc on the court - that's when the uphill turns into trying to climb a mountain ... the Vikings stayed focused behind their floor leader 6-2 sr Sawyer Weston's 6 pts offensively and his strong on ball presence vs his counterpart for the U Blake Fitch ... Weston had plenty of support as the Vikings settled in to do battle - sr. 6-5 Owen Osting with 2 pts in the paint ... 6-5 soph Carter Myers was fouled in the act of shooting - make/make 2pts ... jr Chase Smith with a trey 3pts and off the bench 6-2 sr. Hudson Pollock added 2pts in the paint ... the Vikings lived up to their MO - as RV had no players that were THE GUY, the Vikings had "guys" , 4 players averaging in double figures for the season ... down by 8 after the U threw the haymaker to start the game - the Vikings with all of the weapons getting their feet wet - and some ammo still in the chamber still had the U in their sights Unioto 23 River Valley 15 after 1 ... the Shermans were 4/4 in opening quarter from behind the 3 point line ... teams in the post season that "survive and advance" are usually the ones that can make adjustments on the court based on their opponent ... RV with the first adjustments - take away the perimeter shot, on ball pressure, close out on the shooters - Unioto still got off a 3 - two - a Cutright 3rd trey of the game for the U - the Vikings added more pressure on the ball, Weston on Fitch, 6-2 on 5-10 , strength vs not as strong ... 94 feet of on ball pressure/face guarding by Weston ... RV held the Shermans to 3 total fgs in the 2nd ... took shots away that were there in the opening quarter on the perimeter, applied pressure - forced 5 Unioto turnovers 2 of which Weston took to the house for points 4 pts in transition ... he also added an offensive board and stickback 2pts/6 in the quarter/12 for the half ... by 3:49 in the quarter the Vikings were within 5pts 25-30 ... for the U - Fitch had shaken free for a tough 12 footer, Cutright hit his 3rd triple of the game ... runs ... the Shermans had opened a 10 pts lead before RV went on a 12-0 run and by the 1:37 mark of the 2nd had climbed the HILL to take the lead at 32-30 - Carter Myers came alive , as the 6-5 soph drained a trey from the corner 3pts ... Chase Smith with the offense board , back up for 2pts ... Eli Snyder off the bench for a trey - 3pts ... the Shermans were treading water as the turnovers were taking away shots on goal offensively while feeding the run for RV & getting the crowd into the game ... Kb Perkins answered the 12-0 run by RV with a reverse stickback & one to give the Shermans life and take away a little of the Viking momentum heading into the locker rooms ... Unioto 33 River Valley 32 at intermission ...Unioto had 16 shots on goal in the opening qtr. cashing in on 7 (only 1 turnover) , in the 2nd with 5 turnovers - six less shots from the field ... 3/10 (30%) ... the Shermans were an outstanding 5/7 from behind the arc and 8/8 from the line ... leading after 16 minutes ... had a 10 point lead in the 2nd - couldn't hold it ...the Shermans came out of the intermission with 6 players contributing on the napkin stat score sheet ... the U used a 7-3 run to take a 40-35 lead at 5:03 on the clock ... Cutright went 4/4 from the line (the U 12/12 from the line at this point) Blake Fitch with a rare open look 3 pter ... Coy off the bench for 2 pts in the paint ... a 10-0 Sherman run ...another hill to climb for the Vikings ...Smith on a floater in the paint 2pts... 6-1 sr. Chase Eberts got on the board for the 1st time in the game (avg. 11 ppg) ... Myers fouled in the paint, 2/2 from the FT line... Unioto kept on keeping on as Perkins got the FT line, make/miss (13/14 on the game from the line)... soph Jack Welch with a 3 trey ... Perkins a score in the paint & fouled 2pt , miss on the and 1 ... the U 10-0 run pushed them out to an 8 points advantage heading into the final 8 minutes ... Unioto 50 River Valley 42 after 3 ... the physicality of the game took it's toll in the 4th as the U turned the ball over 5 times ... the Shermans missed multiple shots at the rim ... the U team had held the lead for practically the entire game ... only 3/8 fgs for UHS in the 4th period ... Fitch with a drive and finish to go with a difficult fade away 6 footer in the paint 4pts ... Blake Hoops with a tough finish on a drive to the rim 2pts ... River Valley had been 4/14 from 3 point land thru 3 ... Carter Myers had been solid the entire game for RV, got the Vikings on the board with 2/2 from the line , Osting with only his 2nd fg of the game 2 points in the paint ... Weston who had been held in check in the 2nd half got his first fg of the 2nd half of action a 15 fter - 2pts ... U turnovers on back to back possessions led to a Chase Smith open look trey 3pts, Myers made the U pay for the next miscue by drilling the 2nd River Valley three in 2 possessions 3pts ... by 1:26 on the clock the Vikings had reeled in the Shermans ... 56-56 ... both teams with opportunities, both teams turned it over in the final minute of play in regulation ... Unioto 56 River Valley 56 after regulation ... possession off the tipoff to the Vikings ... RV had led for 53 seconds in the game up to the overtime play ... Carter Myers gave the Vikings the lead with a trey to open the OT - the Viking would end the game having had the lead for 4:37 of clock in the game... following the Myers three, Weston hit another 15 footer ... 5 point lead for RV - they could dictate the OT with the 2 possession advantage ... Fitch for the U dropped a contested shot in the lane 2pts ... with 2:03 to play 58-62 RV ... FTs were the name of the game, defense & turnovers ... the U which had been stellar to open the game at 13/13 from the line - in the final seconds dropped to a 50% shooting team from the line as they were 2/4 down the stretch ... 60-62 RV when RV was put on the line ... 4/8 FT shooting at the line for RV kept the door open for the U ... 65-63 following a Blake Hoops 3 with 41.3 to play ... a miss/make by RV ... 66-63 under 16 seconds to play ... defense, on ball pressure , physicality ... the U made the final shot of the game with under 5 second to play - a Kb Perkins shot at the rim ... 66-65 RV as the Vikings let the clock runout without having to put the ball in bounds ... steady, physical play on defense, used all of the weapons on offense 4 players for RV averaged in double figures for the season, 3 of the 4 got into double figures, 2 of the 4 bettered their ppg average ... River Valley 66 Unioto 65 a final in OT ...
Quarter Breaks:
River Valley...15...32...42...56/66
Unioto..............23...33...50...56/65
Pfloyd's official "UN-official" Napkin Stats - Unioto
Scoring ... Blake Hoops 17, Kb Perkins 14, Blake Fitch 13, Caden Cutright 13, Isaac Coy 4, Jack Welch 4
3 Pointers ... 8/14 … Blake Hoops 3, Caden Cutright 3, Blake Fitch 1, Jack Welch 1
FTs ... 17/23
TOs ... 16
PnP ... 10 fgs/ 20 points in the paint
PnT ... 1 fgs/ 2 points in transition
Pbk ... 1 fgs/ 2 points on putback buckets
Napkin Stat Extras:
Rbs...27
FG%...20/48 (41.7%) gm ... 2nd Qtr. FG% 3/10 (30%) ... 4th Qtr. FG% 3/8 (37.5%)
3PT%...8/15 (53.3%)
Pfloyd's official "UN-official" Napkin Stats - River Valley
Scoring ... Carter Myers 21, Sawyer Weston 19, Chase Smith 11, Chase Ebert 6, Owen Osting 4, Eli Snyder 3, Hudson Pollock 2
3 Pointers ... 7/18 ... Carter Myers 4, Chase Smith 2, Eli Snyder 1
FTs ... 15/22
TOs ... 14
PnP ... 12 fgs/ 24 points in the paint
PnT ... 4 fgs/8 points in transition
Pbk ... 2 fgs/ 4 points on putback buckets
Napkin Stat Extras:
Rbs...29
FG%...22/44 (50%) gm... OT FG% 2/3 (66%) OT 3PT% 1/1 (100%) ... OT FT% 5/10 (50%)
3PT%... 7/18 (38.9%) gm
Unioto 65 a final OT
...as a fan of high school basketball, boys post season high school basketball in particular, mainly due to the physicality that is allowed in the games vs ticky-tack fouls often called in the regular season , the urgency to not lose , putting everything on the line for something bigger than yourself - TEAM ... last nights' game between the Shermans of Unioto and the Vikings of River Valley pushed the limits - the games within the game ... I watched the back and forth between Blake Fitch of the U vs Sawyer Weston of RV - a battle for 32 minutes just getting the ball up court ... both players handled it well, neither complained , both took on the challenge ... both will be feeling it physically for days ... great high school basketball game, one of the loudest crowds I have heard at the Convo in the 2 weeks so far ... the crowd WAS a BIG part of the ebb and flow of the game last night as both teams had outstanding runs offensively that brought THEIR faithful into the game 110% ... THAT'S what high school basketball is all about - great play on the court for 32 minutes by the players and 32 minutes of fans becoming one with the players & the game ...LAST NIGHT it was 32 minutes with a bonus 4 minutes! ... River Valley 66 Unioto 65 OT a final ...
... Coach Combs of Unioto could not have been more satisfied after quarter one and how his Shermans' started the game ... offensively the U brought it from all levels jr PG Blake Fitch hit a 15 footer for 2 ... 5-10 Caden Cutright put the myth of the difficulties shooting in the Convo from behind the arc to bed as he drained the 1st of 2 opening quarter three pointers for the senior (6pts) ... running mate 6-2 sr Blake Hoops led all scorers in the first frame was perfect from the field knocking down a pair of 3 pointers - 6pts and 3/3 from the free throw stripe 9pts in the qtr.... 6-5 sr post player Kb Perkins did what bigs are supposed to do - scored in the paint - 2pts and if you don't score you get to the line - Perkins fouled down low - make/make 4 pts in the period ... to complete the Sherman opening quarter all the recipe needed was bench scoring for seasoning - Isaac Coy delivered with a blow-by drive and finish 2pts ... the U with an opening 23 point handoff to RV ... post season basketball is all about KNOWING that teams are going to make runs (the U with a 5-0 run vs RV in the first 3 minutes of play)... teams are going to "punch you in the mouth" at some point both figuratively and literally in the one and done season - the nature of the beast ... as a TEAM you understand it, expect it , & aren't taken aback by it ... if you accept it as "part of the game" and stick to the game plan - you will have a chance to survive and advance, IF you panic, let the runs turn into quarters of havoc on the court - that's when the uphill turns into trying to climb a mountain ... the Vikings stayed focused behind their floor leader 6-2 sr Sawyer Weston's 6 pts offensively and his strong on ball presence vs his counterpart for the U Blake Fitch ... Weston had plenty of support as the Vikings settled in to do battle - sr. 6-5 Owen Osting with 2 pts in the paint ... 6-5 soph Carter Myers was fouled in the act of shooting - make/make 2pts ... jr Chase Smith with a trey 3pts and off the bench 6-2 sr. Hudson Pollock added 2pts in the paint ... the Vikings lived up to their MO - as RV had no players that were THE GUY, the Vikings had "guys" , 4 players averaging in double figures for the season ... down by 8 after the U threw the haymaker to start the game - the Vikings with all of the weapons getting their feet wet - and some ammo still in the chamber still had the U in their sights Unioto 23 River Valley 15 after 1 ... the Shermans were 4/4 in opening quarter from behind the 3 point line ... teams in the post season that "survive and advance" are usually the ones that can make adjustments on the court based on their opponent ... RV with the first adjustments - take away the perimeter shot, on ball pressure, close out on the shooters - Unioto still got off a 3 - two - a Cutright 3rd trey of the game for the U - the Vikings added more pressure on the ball, Weston on Fitch, 6-2 on 5-10 , strength vs not as strong ... 94 feet of on ball pressure/face guarding by Weston ... RV held the Shermans to 3 total fgs in the 2nd ... took shots away that were there in the opening quarter on the perimeter, applied pressure - forced 5 Unioto turnovers 2 of which Weston took to the house for points 4 pts in transition ... he also added an offensive board and stickback 2pts/6 in the quarter/12 for the half ... by 3:49 in the quarter the Vikings were within 5pts 25-30 ... for the U - Fitch had shaken free for a tough 12 footer, Cutright hit his 3rd triple of the game ... runs ... the Shermans had opened a 10 pts lead before RV went on a 12-0 run and by the 1:37 mark of the 2nd had climbed the HILL to take the lead at 32-30 - Carter Myers came alive , as the 6-5 soph drained a trey from the corner 3pts ... Chase Smith with the offense board , back up for 2pts ... Eli Snyder off the bench for a trey - 3pts ... the Shermans were treading water as the turnovers were taking away shots on goal offensively while feeding the run for RV & getting the crowd into the game ... Kb Perkins answered the 12-0 run by RV with a reverse stickback & one to give the Shermans life and take away a little of the Viking momentum heading into the locker rooms ... Unioto 33 River Valley 32 at intermission ...Unioto had 16 shots on goal in the opening qtr. cashing in on 7 (only 1 turnover) , in the 2nd with 5 turnovers - six less shots from the field ... 3/10 (30%) ... the Shermans were an outstanding 5/7 from behind the arc and 8/8 from the line ... leading after 16 minutes ... had a 10 point lead in the 2nd - couldn't hold it ...the Shermans came out of the intermission with 6 players contributing on the napkin stat score sheet ... the U used a 7-3 run to take a 40-35 lead at 5:03 on the clock ... Cutright went 4/4 from the line (the U 12/12 from the line at this point) Blake Fitch with a rare open look 3 pter ... Coy off the bench for 2 pts in the paint ... a 10-0 Sherman run ...another hill to climb for the Vikings ...Smith on a floater in the paint 2pts... 6-1 sr. Chase Eberts got on the board for the 1st time in the game (avg. 11 ppg) ... Myers fouled in the paint, 2/2 from the FT line... Unioto kept on keeping on as Perkins got the FT line, make/miss (13/14 on the game from the line)... soph Jack Welch with a 3 trey ... Perkins a score in the paint & fouled 2pt , miss on the and 1 ... the U 10-0 run pushed them out to an 8 points advantage heading into the final 8 minutes ... Unioto 50 River Valley 42 after 3 ... the physicality of the game took it's toll in the 4th as the U turned the ball over 5 times ... the Shermans missed multiple shots at the rim ... the U team had held the lead for practically the entire game ... only 3/8 fgs for UHS in the 4th period ... Fitch with a drive and finish to go with a difficult fade away 6 footer in the paint 4pts ... Blake Hoops with a tough finish on a drive to the rim 2pts ... River Valley had been 4/14 from 3 point land thru 3 ... Carter Myers had been solid the entire game for RV, got the Vikings on the board with 2/2 from the line , Osting with only his 2nd fg of the game 2 points in the paint ... Weston who had been held in check in the 2nd half got his first fg of the 2nd half of action a 15 fter - 2pts ... U turnovers on back to back possessions led to a Chase Smith open look trey 3pts, Myers made the U pay for the next miscue by drilling the 2nd River Valley three in 2 possessions 3pts ... by 1:26 on the clock the Vikings had reeled in the Shermans ... 56-56 ... both teams with opportunities, both teams turned it over in the final minute of play in regulation ... Unioto 56 River Valley 56 after regulation ... possession off the tipoff to the Vikings ... RV had led for 53 seconds in the game up to the overtime play ... Carter Myers gave the Vikings the lead with a trey to open the OT - the Viking would end the game having had the lead for 4:37 of clock in the game... following the Myers three, Weston hit another 15 footer ... 5 point lead for RV - they could dictate the OT with the 2 possession advantage ... Fitch for the U dropped a contested shot in the lane 2pts ... with 2:03 to play 58-62 RV ... FTs were the name of the game, defense & turnovers ... the U which had been stellar to open the game at 13/13 from the line - in the final seconds dropped to a 50% shooting team from the line as they were 2/4 down the stretch ... 60-62 RV when RV was put on the line ... 4/8 FT shooting at the line for RV kept the door open for the U ... 65-63 following a Blake Hoops 3 with 41.3 to play ... a miss/make by RV ... 66-63 under 16 seconds to play ... defense, on ball pressure , physicality ... the U made the final shot of the game with under 5 second to play - a Kb Perkins shot at the rim ... 66-65 RV as the Vikings let the clock runout without having to put the ball in bounds ... steady, physical play on defense, used all of the weapons on offense 4 players for RV averaged in double figures for the season, 3 of the 4 got into double figures, 2 of the 4 bettered their ppg average ... River Valley 66 Unioto 65 a final in OT ...
Quarter Breaks:
River Valley...15...32...42...56/66
Unioto..............23...33...50...56/65
Pfloyd's official "UN-official" Napkin Stats - Unioto
Scoring ... Blake Hoops 17, Kb Perkins 14, Blake Fitch 13, Caden Cutright 13, Isaac Coy 4, Jack Welch 4
3 Pointers ... 8/14 … Blake Hoops 3, Caden Cutright 3, Blake Fitch 1, Jack Welch 1
FTs ... 17/23
TOs ... 16
PnP ... 10 fgs/ 20 points in the paint
PnT ... 1 fgs/ 2 points in transition
Pbk ... 1 fgs/ 2 points on putback buckets
Napkin Stat Extras:
Rbs...27
FG%...20/48 (41.7%) gm ... 2nd Qtr. FG% 3/10 (30%) ... 4th Qtr. FG% 3/8 (37.5%)
3PT%...8/15 (53.3%)
Pfloyd's official "UN-official" Napkin Stats - River Valley
Scoring ... Carter Myers 21, Sawyer Weston 19, Chase Smith 11, Chase Ebert 6, Owen Osting 4, Eli Snyder 3, Hudson Pollock 2
3 Pointers ... 7/18 ... Carter Myers 4, Chase Smith 2, Eli Snyder 1
FTs ... 15/22
TOs ... 14
PnP ... 12 fgs/ 24 points in the paint
PnT ... 4 fgs/8 points in transition
Pbk ... 2 fgs/ 4 points on putback buckets
Napkin Stat Extras:
Rbs...29
FG%...22/44 (50%) gm... OT FG% 2/3 (66%) OT 3PT% 1/1 (100%) ... OT FT% 5/10 (50%)
3PT%... 7/18 (38.9%) gm