By CHARLIE HUST
The WCHS Trojans stretched-out a tight game in the third quarter to slide past Union County 63-55 Friday night in the first meeting of the two district-rivals before a large Homecoming crowd at Trojan gym.
With a slim 30-25 lead at halftime, Webster went on a 6-0 run to open the third quarter and never trailed from that point on. The final score was as close as the Braves could get.
“I’m very proud of my guys and how hard they fought for 32 minutes,” noted WCHS head coach Jon Newton. “I think our guys are starting to understand their roles and it’s helping us play more consistent basketball.”
WCHS junior Mason Roland led a very balanced scoring attack with 16 points, six coming in the first quarter. He also had a team-high six assists.
Webster led 14-12 at the first break and out-scored the visiting Braves 16-13 in the second stanza. Zac Shoulders added 15 points and four rebounds while Max McMain, Jake Fritz and Madison Melton all had eight points and three rebounds apiece. J. D. Newton finished with six points while Jon Stubblefield completed the scoring with two points.
“I liked are very even scoring from all seven guys that played and we had a different person step up and make a big play at one time or another during the game,” Newton added. “This was a really good win for our team and hopefully gives us a boost heading into the last few months of the season.”
The Trojans held a 50-41 lead heading into the fourth quarter. But as in every Webster-Union battle, the game was far from over. The Braves made a strong surge with tight defensive pressure and cut the lead to four points midway through the period.
But WCHS was ready for the challenge with near-perfect free throw shooting down the stretch to seal the victory. The Trojans shot hit 10-of-12 free throws in their last six possessions of the game with Roland, Shoulders and Fritz all canning critical freebies.
“That was the key to the game, our composure down the stretch and the great clock management. Much of the credit goes to our guards for the taking of the basketball and handling the pressure. We also had some great defensive stops we when needed them in the fourth quarter,” Newton added.
Roland was 10-of-12 at the free throw line while Shoulders was 5-for-5. Webster connected on 18-of-24 attempts from the stripe, compared to 7-of-13 from the Braves.
Webster shot 55 percent (20-of-36) from the field including a red-hot 5-of-6 from behind the 3-point arc. Shoulders and McMain hit both of their 3-point attempts while Melton nailed his only 3-point try.
The Trojans are back in action Thursday, hosting Mayfield. They will travel to Hopkins County Central on Saturday.