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3rd quarter costly to Eagle boys
UNIONTOWN -- A cold third quarter proved decisive as host Uniontown dropped a 56-41 decision Friday night to a deep Frontenac team.
The teams were fairly even throughout the first half but the home team, facing a Raider squad that was subbing five players at a time, lost its shooting touch and was outscored 16-8.
"They shot the ball really well," Eagle coach Nathan Hinrichs said following the game. "We said at halftime that we didn't think they could shoot any better than they did in the first half but I believe they did just that.
"They threw a couple of different defenses at us in the third quarter and we didn't handle them well. I think by the middle of the third quarter, we kind of wore down."
Frontenac (5-3) got the first lead and held it but the hosts stayed within striking range, behind a trio of 3-pointers, two coming from junior Skyler Riley. Senior Brenton Esslinger's three closed the Eagles to within 10-9 two minutes in.
The Raiders got the next 6 before Uniontown again closed, with Esslinger scoring inside off a feed from Riley to get within 15-13 at the 3:50 mark.
Esslinger's bucket inside tied the game at 19 with 25 seconds left and finished the scoring in the period.
Esslinger scored again, coming off his own steal, to give the home team its first lead with less than a minute gone.
A follow by senior Trenton Miller and a three from senior Dakota Wiley gave Uniontown a 26-24 lead with 1:17 left in the half.
But Avery Coronado answered for the Raiders with a three and Frontenac finished with the last 6 points of the half for a 30-26 margin at the break.
Esslinger had nine to pace the Eagles (3-6) while Dylan Clark's nine led the Raiders.
"What hurt us in the first quarter," Hinrichs said, "was that if we could have defended better, we could have gotten the lead, like we did later (in the second period). We played well offensively in that first quarter."
But the offense disappeared in the third and Uniontown was unable to recover.
Frontenac opened with 7 straight points before Riley's free throw two minutes in put points on the board for the Eagles, producing a 35-27 score.
The Raiders ran off 5 more before Esslinger converted two free throws with 2:12 showing and the gap at 42-29.
Sophomore Jacob Duffey scored at the buzzer for the hosts, with the difference at 46-34.
The teams matched points over the first four minutes and then Frontenac closed with a 5-2 run to end the game.
Esslinger finished with 14 and Riley 10 to pace the Eagles. Jacob Duffey added 6, Dakota Wiley 5, Trenton Miller 4, and Gavin Miller 2.
Avery Coronado and Dylan Clark wound up with 13 and Brett Macary 12 to lead the winners.
Uniontown faces Central Heights in the first round of the Pleasanton Mid-Season Tournament at 4 p.m. Tuesday in the south gymnasium.