FRILLS CORNERS, Pa. (EYT/D9) – Down by eight on the road against a battle-tested and undefeated foe?
No problem.
The Union girls basketball team was undaunted by the circumstance they found themselves in Thursday night at North Clarion and stormed back for a 48-44 win over the Wolves.
(Hailey Kriebel scored 15 points and was the Hager Paving Incorporated Player of the Game)
“Those girls knew what that game meant,” said Union coach Ally Kepple. “They knew we had to play big, and they went out there and did it.”
Perhaps no one played bigger than Union senior Hailey Kriebel, who hit two huge 3-pointers in the first quarter and then drained a pair of clutch free throws in the fourth quarter.
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Kennedy Vogle hit two free throws with 16 seconds remaining for a four-point lead that stood up.
“We watched our game last year there – we watched it on film a few days ago with Hailey, and she really stepped up last year,” Kepple said. “She was the one who got open, and she did that again tonight. She came out firing and was ready to play.”
Kriebel scored a game-high 15 points.
She said it came at a no better time than against one of the best teams in the league early in the season.
“I thought it was really good for our team because we really needed to win that game,” Kriebel said. “It felt good (to hit those two fourth-quarter free throws).”
Even when Union was down by eight in the third quarter, Kriebel said she had faith.
“I just told everyone to be positive,” Kriebel said. “I just had a feeling that we would come back. We were all really excited for this game.”
Union started out well and the two teams played even through the first two quarters, heading into the half tied 22-22.
North Clarion (7-1, 3-1) made a run, though, in the third and led 37-31 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Damsels, though, got six of Keira Croyle’s 13 points in the final frame – including a layup that broke a 44-44 deadlock with 1:20 remaining – and Dominika Logue hit two clutch 3-pointers in the final eight minutes. She also scored 13 for Union.
Gwen Siegel battled foul trouble for North Clarion, but still finished with a team-high 11 points for the Wolves. Emma McFarland added nine and Madison McFarland seven.
It’s the first signature win of the season for Union (5-1, 3-0), a team that has some lofty goals for this campaign.
The loss snapped a 49-game conference winning streak for North Clarion.
“We said to the girls, ‘Enjoy this moment,'” Kepple said. “This is a big win and we needed this win. Enjoy the moment now, but come ready tomorrow because we have another big game Monday against Karns City.”
Redbank Valley, Keystone, and Union/A-C Valley sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Heeter Lumber.
