A clutch shot by East Hardy’s Aden Funkhouser with 11 seconds remaining was enough to thwart the Tigers’ attack as the Cougars survive 80-76 on Valentine’s Day.
Union controlled the first half, but the Cougars had the edge in the third period and fought through six ties in the fourth period to claim the victory.
“Our defense wasn’t very good tonight. We played way too much with our hands and not enough with our feet. Credit to the Reed boys, because they did a really good job getting to the rim forcing us to defend that and we didn’t do a good job at it,” East Hardy Coach Chris Hahn remarked.
“It was one of those nights we couldn’t do anything right. We were playing against the game. I thought our effort was there, but mentally our execution wasn’t there and that caught up with us giving up 76 points. What was going through my mind was that I was really glad Aden [Funkhouser] lifts weights, because he is a big strong kid and he is going to win that battle since he is stronger. That’s the one thing we have on most teams is our kids are stronger and the work they put in the weight room really showed out here tonight. Sometimes it puts you in trouble, because you are used to being physical. When the game is called a little more closely, it is harder to adjust. Sometimes it is to our detriment. In a play like that, Aden did a really good job physically driving in and finishing with contact and making the foul shot to help win the game. You don’t want to play not to lose, you want to play to win.”
East Hardy (8-9) held a 59-57 edge entering the final stanza, but the Tigers (7-11) equalized the contest a minute into it with a pair of free throws by Colton Reed.
Union’s Blaine Sisler snatched a defensive rebound, but East Hardy’s Brett Tharp stole it during a trap and Jesse Dove netted a putback to regain the lead 61-59 at 6:31.
Union lost the ball out of bounds and Trenton Reed committed his fourth foul leading to one free throw made by Tharp.
Colton Reed sliced into the paint for a layup to pull the Tigers within one with 5:50 remaining.
The Cougars answered with a 3-pointer by Dove 13 seconds later to extend the advantage to 65-61.
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Union’s Trevor Kitzmiller hit a jumper on the next possession.
East Hardy’s Cole Swanson made an offensive rebound, but a lane violation was called.
Swanson forced a turnover and passed up to Tharp who tripped, then Union’s Trenton Reed snatched the ball and tipped in a missed shot to tie the game.
Tharp scored on the ensuing possession to put the Cougars back on top 67-65 at 4:43.
Union’s Dalton Hough was fouled by Dove and made one free throw and Swanson collected the board.
After a foul by Union’s Blaine Sisler, East Hardy’s Chance Dove knocked down a jumper off an assist by Tharp.
Colton Reed launched a 3-pointer and the ball took a towering bounce off the rim and dropped back down into the hoop to tie the game with 4:04 to go.
Colton Reed made a defensive rebound and was fouled moments later leading to two free throws for a 71-69 Union edge.
Sisler stole the ball, then East Hardy’s Drew Kelican grabbed a defensive rebounding was fouled.
Trenton Reed deflected a pass and nearly made a save going out of bounds,
Sisler and Funkhouser collected defensive caroms, then Funkhouser hit a jumper to tie the contest with 2:30 left.
Trenton Reed broke the press after a timeout and slipped in between a trap by East Hardy’s Adam Larson and Tharp on a drive towards the basket, but Tharp was whistled for his fourth foul with his hands up.
Reed knocked down both free throws to regain the Tigers lead at 2:07.
Tharp was fouled by Colton Reed which was his fourth infraction and the pair of foul shots were made to knot the game again at 73-all with 1:53 to go.
After a timeout, Larson nearly made a steal, then Union’s Blaine Sisler walked.
Funkhouser scored on a jumper inside the paint to give the Cougars a 75-73 edge at the 1:30 mark.
Tharp stood still defensively as Union’s Colton Reed drove along the baseline colliding into him and a defensive blocking foul was assessed since he was hit on the side which meant Tharp fouled out in protest, yet the basket was good and the free throw missed with Logan Kuhn grabbing the board.
Kelican snatched the defensive rebound and the Cougars burned off a minute from the clock.
Funkhouser drove along the baseline and pulled up for a jumper holding tight to the ball on contact by Trenton Reed standing there sending the ball up into the hoop as Reed fell and was assessed his fifth foul.
That basket was clutch giving East Hardy the lead and Funkhouser calmly sank the free throw for a 78-75 advantage with only 11 seconds remaining.
After a timeout, Sisler collected an offensive rebound with Kelican in tow crashing to the floor and a foul was called on Kelican.
Sisler hit the first of two free throws with two seconds left and a timeout was called, then the next one was missed on purpose and Kelican snatched the rebound and was fouled immediately.
Kelican nailed both free throws for the 80-76 final score as the Tigers launched a full-court desperation shot off the mark as the buzzer sounded.
Tharp netted a game-high 31 points, but Funkhouser’s 18-point effort was vital in the end and Jesse Dove contributed 11 markers for East Hardy.
Union was led by Trenton Reed with 26 points and brother Colton Reed netted 19 points.
The Cougars proved to be battle tested in this uptempo contest, but the final exam is coming up in the playoffs.
East Hardy has a rematch against the Yellow Jackets in a regular season match this Friday.
The opening tip-off was batted by East Hardy’s Brett Tharp, but landed in the hands of the Tigers and Trenton Reed drilled a 3-pointer to begin the scoring at 7:50.
The Tigers trapped Kelican and the ball was deflected out of bounds, then Tharp made a spin in the paint for a layup.
Funkhouser snatched a defensive rebound and scored on the ensuing possession to put the Cougars up 4-3 at 7:07.
The Tigers lost the ball out of bounds, then a shot for East Hardy ricocheted past the bench.
Trenton Reed eluded a trap set by the Cougars, but failed to connect as the ball bounced away.
East Hardy’s Casey Connelley had a second chance rebound, but the ball went off the rim and Tharp attempted to redirect it in for a dunk, yet the ball had other ideas bouncing off the iron as he hung there.
Union’s Logan Kuhn hit a 3-pointer at the 5:53 mark to regain the lead and the Tigers held on to the advantage until just under a minute left in the second period.
The Cougars fumbled the ball out of bounds, then Tharp was whistled for a foul on a steal attempt.
Tharp made a defensive rebound, then plowed over Trenton Reed and was sent to the line and made one free throw.
Colton Reed collected the board and passed to Trevor Kitzmiller, who found Trenton Reed for a 3-pointer at 5:10.
East Hardy responded with a 3-pointer from Tharp for a 9-8 score just 13 seconds later.
Kuhn hit a jumper, then the Cougars missed two attempts and Dalton Lough made a basket to give the Tigers a 13-8 lead in the first period at 4:18.
Colton Reed and Kelican made defensive rebounds before a carry by East Hardy.
Kelican was fouled on his next rebound, then Trenton Reed blocked Tharp with the Tigers recovering and Sisler was hacked on a rebound leading to two free throws.
Tharp made an offensive rebound and passed to Funkhouser for a layup.
Swanson stole the ball and scored to cut the deficit to 15-12 with 2:24 left in the opening frame.
Union responded with a 3-pointer by Colton Reed, then Trenton Reed swiped the ball and made a layup to push the edge up 20-12.
Tharp made a steal and Larson assisted Funkhouser on a jumper at 1:20.
Kuhn knocked down a 3-pointer at the Tigers kept in charge 23-14 with a minute left.
Tharp hit a free throw, then Sisler got the rebound and was fouled.
Larson grabbed a defensive carom and Funkhouser walked trying to spin away from Reed.
Funkhouser blocked and stole the ball leading to a basket by Tharp, but Union held the 23-17 lead entering the second period.
“The effort was there, but it came down to the last 15 seconds and it was the longest 15 seconds of your life. It just didn’t go our way,” Union Coach Travis Liller commented.
“We had a play that could have taken us to overtime, but the ball didn’t bounce the right way. When it comes down to it, I told them in the locker room I can’t take anything way from this, I am proud of them. You have that pit in your stomach when it is a four point game and take the loss, but overall I am proud of the effort. We have been a different team the last few games and I think East Hardy saw that tonight.”
East Hardy’s Chance Dove drilled a 3-pointer to begin the second stanza at 7:42, then the Tigers lost the ball out of bounds and Dove dished to Tharp for a jumper to cut the deficit to 23-22.
Over the next two minutes, Union went up 29-23 with a pair of baskets from Trenton Reed and Lough.
Tharp grabbed a rebound and passed to Chance Dove, but he stepped out of bounds.
Tharp would collect another rebound and pass to Jesse Dove for a jumper at 4:50.
Chance Dove swiped the ball and netted the breakaway layup for a 29-27 score.
Trenton Reed added two foul shots on the next Tigers possession.
A minute later after a handful of missed opportunities, Reed made a layup.
Kuhn stole the ball and hit the rim, then Tharp grabbed the rebound and was fouled going to the hoop and managed to complete the old-fashioned three-point play at 2:43 to make it 33-30.
Union was whistled for a walk, then Funkhouser scored in the paint for the Cougars pulling within one point.
After a bucket by Kitzmiller, Kelican responded with a 3-pointer to tie the game at 35-all with 1:49 remaining in the first half.
Swanson stole the ball and it was snatched back by Trenton Reed leading to his own basket, then Tharp hit a jumper in the paint to tie the game again.
East Hardy took a brief lead with 47 seconds left in the second period on a free throw by Tharp and added a jumper by Connelley on the next series, 40-37.
Sisler hit a pair of free throws for the Tigers with 14 seconds on the clock, then Trenton Reed made a steal and scored to regain the advantage at halftime, 41-40.
Kelican made an offensive rebound and passed to Jesse Dove, who connected on a jumper giving the Cougars a 42-41 lead at the 7:33 mark of the third period.
East Hardy would hold this lead and extended it up to ten points during the frame, but the Tigers gnawed and chewed it down to two points to start the fourth period.
Tharp made a defensive rebound and the Cougars lost the ball out, then Connelley hauled in a defensive board and passed to Kelican, who found Tharp for a bucket.
Union lost the ball out of bounds, then Connelley was assessed a foul on a rebound attempt and Sisler scored a layup for the Tigers, 44-43 at 6:25.
Tharp netted a putback on the next possession, then Colton Reed grabbed a rebound and was fouled leading to one free throw.
East Hardy’s Adam Baker made a layup to extend the edge to 48-44 at the 5:30 mark.
Jesse Dove collected a defensive carom and dished to Funkhouser for a layup.
Dove made another rebound after Colton Reed made one of two free throws, then passed to Tharp for a 3-pointer to create a 53-45 advantage.
Both teams committed turnovers before a foul on Tharp, then Colton Reed knocked down a jumper.
Tharp answered with a short range jumper, then Jesse Dove swiped the ball and the shot went off the rim.
The ball was saved by Reed, but it went to Larson for the basket to give the Cougars a 57-47 lead.
Lough and Sisler nailed 3-pointers plus Colton Reed added a field goal over the next two minutes and change to slice the deficit to 57-55 before Jesse Dove stopped the run with a jumper.
Trenton Reed drove to the basket and there was a major collision sending Connelley and Larson crashing to the hardwood, after the dust settled Reed was on the line making two free throws with nine seconds to go.
Baker made a rebound and missed the final shot of the frame, but the Cougars were still ahead 59-57.
East Hardy and the Tigers grappled for supremacy in the final quarter with the Cougars defending the Den.
EHEMS 8th grade boys basketball won the opening contest 56-30 over Union.
Justin Teets netted 23 points for the Cougars, followed by Dawson Price with 14 points.
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