Union County pulls away late to defeat York

Playing with a lot of new faces, the York Comprehensive High School boys’ basketball team lost to the Union County Yellow 63-54 Monday.

“Come on now, a ninth grade point guard and a bunch of sophomores playing. It’s gonna take a little time,” first-year YCHS head coach Mike Gossett said. “Defensively, I thought we did a great job. Not a great job but a good job. We were in the game all the way to the end.”

Of last year’s team, 11 have graduated, Gossett said.

Against the Yellow Jackets, York’s 6-foot-3 sophomore, Cameron Jones, scored in the final seconds of the first quarter, staking the Cougars to an 11-10 lead.

Jones got things started in the second quarter, nailing a three-pointer that pushed York’s lead to 14-10.

With the teams trading baskets for much of the quarter, 6-foot-4 junior Miles Prosser converted a pair of free throws with 3.3 on the clock and the Cougars ahead 21-19.

A Union County long-range buzzer-beater sent the Jackets to the locker room, clinging to a 22-21 lead.

The third quarter was closely contested. With Union County leading 40-37 late in the quarter, Peyton Stephenson hit a three-pointer, knotting the score at 40-all.

But the Jackets regained the lead 47-44 to start the fourth quarter.

Union County held on for the win.

Jones paced the scoring for York with 21 points. Chandler Culp scored 10. Prosser scored seven and Malcolm Kennedy four.

“We had our chances, even with a minute to go, but the ball just did not go in the hoop. A lot of that has to do with kids who haven’t played. The more they play, the more practice they get. I think the better we’ll be,” Gossett said.

Gossett said junior guard Wally Wilmore has recovered from a leg injury.

York will play Chester Friday and the key will be to control the offense and make shots, Gossett said.

“We’ve got to be more efficient with what we’re doing on the offensive end and a little better at stopping penetration,” he said.

He added: “We’ve got to just play like a team and compete like a team. We have to play hard and play with confidence and try to get a win.”

This story was originally published December 1, 2015 at 11:02 AM with the headline "Union County pulls away late to defeat York."