UNION, NJ — An 11-game winning streak came to a halt on Saturday, Jan. 31, for the Union High School Farmers, as they had a difficult time filling the hoop vs. visiting Scotch Plains–Fanwood High School.
After trailing 3-0, Scotch Plains–Fanwood led the rest of the way en route to an impressive 59-47 road victory against a team that had just one loss.
Union slipped to 15-2 with its first setback vs. a Union County opponent and its initial defeat at home.
Scotch Plains–Fanwood won for the third time in four games to improve to 11-9.
The Raiders reside in the Union County Conference’s upper Watchung Division, while Union was moved down this year to the middle Mountain Division.
Union still began the week leading the Mountain Division standings at 9-0.
Union’s first of three games against Watchung Division opponents was on Saturday, Jan. 17, at Westfield High School, which was a 62-55 Union triumph.
Union’s third game was a home contest against Union Catholic High School on Monday, Feb. 2. The Farmers were soundly beaten, 73-43, to fall to 15-3.
The Union County Tournament was to be seeded Wednesday, Feb. 4, with Union most likely to be seeded seventh behind these six Watchung Division schools: defending champion Plainfield High School, Linden High School, Roselle Catholic High School, Elizabeth High School, Scotch Plains–Fanwood and Union Catholic.
Scotch Plains-Fanwood led Union by eight at the break and then increased that advantage to as much as 18 in the fourth quarter, before Union mounted a mini-comeback that saw the Farmers pull to within nine points with less than a minute to go.
“We didn’t have the energy needed to compete,” first-year Union head coach Erick Loften-Harris said.
Union was coming off a thrilling 65-58 overtime Mountain Division win at Arthur L. Johnson High School on Thursday, Jan. 29, in Clark. Union outscored the host Crusaders, who were 14-2, by a 17-10 margin in the fourth quarter to force overtime and then dominated the extra session, outscoring Arthur L. Johnson, 8-1.
“No excuses; you have to be ready to play,” Loften-Harris said. “I give Scotch Plains a lot of credit. Our pace wasn’t great and we weren’t getting stops.”
Union trailed 23-15 after the first 16 minutes, the 15 points being the least Union scored by halftime. It was only the third time this year Union was held to less than 50 points. The Union Catholic loss was its fourth.
“No time to feel sorry; we have to get right back at it,” Loften-Harris said.
Elijah Cortes-Sosa paced Union with 16 points in the setback to Scotch Plains–Fanwood. Reed Flood poured in 26 points in the OT victory at Arthur L. Johnson. It was the second-highest scoring game of the season for Flood, who netted 29 points in Union’s 69-51 triumph against New Dorp High School, N.Y., in the Sayreville Holiday Showcase on Monday, Dec. 29.
In its quest to capture the Mountain Division championship, Union has division contests remaining at Oratory Preparatory School of Summit on Thursday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m.; home vs. Rahway High School on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 1 p.m.; and at New Providence High School at a makeup date that has to still be determined.
Union defeated New Providence, 63-38, at home on Tuesday, Dec. 23; downed Oratory Prep, 67-55, at home on Tuesday, Jan. 13; and won at Rahway, 63-37, on Thursday, Jan. 15.
Other regular season games scheduled are at Hunterdon Central Regional High School on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 6 p.m.; home vs. Columbia High School on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 4 p.m.; and at Hackensack High School on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 11 a.m.
Photos by JR Parachini
