BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Visiting Class 5A Baker County had a 10-3 run in the fourth quarter to build a nine-point lead and eventually hand the Union County High School boys basketball team a 62-54 loss on Jan. 13.
It was the second straight loss for the Class 1A Tigers (7-6), who trailed for most of the game.
The Wildcats’ first three field goals were three-pointers, giving them an early 9-4 lead. Baker (5-9) would later lead 19-14 before Union’s Gavin Jenkins made two free throws to make it a three-point game. Jeremiah Mitchell then made two free throws for the Wildcats, but the Tigers’ Deonte Jones drained a three-pointer off a Jenkins assist to leave Union trailing 21-19 entering the second quarter.
Union committed five turnovers during an 8-0 run by Baker that put the Wildcats up 31-21 — their largest margin at that point.
The Tigers, though, responded with an 8-0 run of their own to close out the half. Jenkins went to the foul line and made his first free-throw attempt. He missed the second, but rebounded the miss and put it back for two points, making the score 31-24. Baker’s Hudson Register had the chance to add to his team’s score, but he missed two free throws, with the Tigers’ Kam Paytee rebounding the second miss. That led to Jenkins scoring on a drive to the basket and cutting the Wildcats’ lead to five.
Jenkins, who scored 16 points in the first half, was fouled on a shot with 59 seconds remaining in the half. He made one free throw to make the score 31-27.
Baker, which missed eight straight field-goal attempts to end the half, turned the ball over for the second straight possession. That led to a jump shot by Jones with 24 seconds remaining, sending the Tigers into the break trailing 31-29.
Union’s Thomas Williams came out on fire in the second half, making several acrobatic baskets en route to a 10-point third-quarter performance. He scored off his own steal to start the third quarter and tie the game. After teammate Jayden Jenkins blocked a Baker field-goal attempt, Williams drove to the basket, drew contact and sank a shot while falling out of bounds. That gave the Tigers their first lead since it was 4-3 in the first quarter.
Baker’s Jackson Carver scored four straight points, making two free throws and then scoring on a layup off a Jaeveon Reed assist following a turnover.
Williams scored to make it 35-35. The Wildcats’ Mitchell then made two free throws before Williams grabbed an offensive rebound, drew a foul and sank a shot while falling backward to even it up again. Unfortunately for Union, Williams was unable to make the foul shot, which was also the case after he drew fouls on his first two baskets of the quarter.
For the game, the Tigers made only 9 of 21 free-throw attempts.
Union took a 39-37 lead when Johnte Nichols grabbed a defensive rebound and fired a pass to Blake McCoy, who beat the defense to the basket. McCoy, after a Baker basket, scored again with a scoop shot that put the Tigers up 41-39.
A Williams basket after two Baker free throws had Union in the lead again, but the Wildcats scored four straight points to take a 45-43 lead into the fourth quarter. Baker’s Dawson Norman grabbed a defensive rebound and dribbled the length of the court for one basket, while a steal by Carver led to a basket by Reed.
Erick Lasseter sank a jump shot for the Tigers and drew a foul, making the awarded free throw to keep Union within two points early in the final quarter. The Wildcats, though, scored eight straight points before Gavin Jenkins hit a three-pointer. Baker answered with another score, putting the Wildcats up 58-49.
Gavin Jenkins’ three-pointer was one of just four field goals Union made in the fourth quarter. The final two baskets occurred in the final minute.
Jenkins finished with 21 points, while Williams had 14. The Tigers also got five points from Jones, four points each from McCoy and Jayden Jenkins, two points from Nichols and one point from Paytee.
Union entered the game off a 55-48 loss to visiting Trenton on Jan. 11.
The Tigers fell behind 17-7 and were outscored 33-16 in the first half.
Williams had 25 points, while Union also got seven from Paytee, six from Nichols, four from Gavin Jenkins and three each from Jones and McCoy.
Nichols led the team in assists (7), steals (5) and rebounds (5).
Union hosts Interlachen on Tuesday, Jan. 16, at 7:30 p.m. and will host The Rock on Friday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m. The Tigers then host Crescent City on Saturday, Jan. 20, at 7:30 p.m. before traveling to play Palatka on Monday, Jan. 22, at 7:30 p.m.
