John Bruce, Staff Writer
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
CHILLICOTHE – After trailing throughout the majority of Friday’s contest, Unioto put together an outstanding defensive effort down the stretch to complete a come-from-behind win over Zane Trace.
With 4:25 to play in the third quarter, ZT’s Grady Stewart got a steal and finished with a layup to give the Pioneers a 37-22 lead, tying the team’s largest lead of the game.
But from that moment on, the Shermans (14-2, 13-0 SVC) closed the game on a 30-11 run to pull off a shocking 52-48 victory — allowing themselves to stay perfect in SVC play and clinch the league’s outright title.
CREDIT: Raymond Gleadle/SOSA
“Our fans showed up, their fans showed up, so obviously, it was a really good atmosphere,” Unioto’s Jack Welch said. “It was a pretty stressful game, but a lot of fun in the end. It was really fun to score the go-ahead basket and it was a great pass from Jaxon [Zickafoose]. Just a really good, really fun game.”
The comeback nearly didn’t happen due to an outstanding performance by the Pioneers, led by Stewart and Gunnar McCullough throughout the evening.
McCullough completely dominated the game for much of the night, seemingly pulling down every missed attempt by his teammates before laying it back in against a physical Unioto defense.
“I have tons of respect for Gunnar,” Unioto’s Blake Fitch said. “He’s a great player and a great rebounder. That’s how he gets most of his points, he outhustles and outrebounds. It’s almost impossible to box him out. He’s a great leader for their team. He’ll lead them on a strong tournament run.”
The Pioneers (14-4, 10-2 SVC) led the contest 9-7 after the first quarter, with McCullough scoring seven points in the opening eight minutes. Meanwhile, Zane Trace’s defense held Unioto to only 1-of-12 shooting from the field in that time span.
The second was all Zane Trace with McCullough earning multiple three-point plays on putback baskets, while the Pioneers’ defense continued to slow the Shermans’ offensive attack.
Stewart punctuated the impressive first half performance with a deep triple at the horn to give Zane Trace a 28-18 lead at the break.
“It was definitely a slow start for me scoring,” Fitch said. “[Zane Trace] came out in their 1-3-1 [defense] and their 1-2-2 in the half-court. They did a good job defensively on us. We came in [to halftime] and knew we weren’t playing great. We just knew we had to stay together and get one stop at a time. We all did that.”
Zane Trace continued to build their lead in the third behind McCullough, Brice Johnson and Hudson Williams, who all owned the glass. Stewart knocked down another triple to force a Unioto timeout with 5:15 left in the quarter with ZT leading 35-20.
But after each team traded baskets, bringing the score to 37-22, the Shermans began to make their move.
Over the next two-plus minutes, they went on an 8-0 run.
Isaac Coy started it with a triple from left of the key, Fitch followed that with a score on a fastbreak, and then assisted Welch on a corner 3 to force a Pioneer timeout with 2:03 left in the third, bringing the crowd back into the game.
After ZT’s Lantz Stevens drove the lane and found Johnson for an uncontested layup, Unioto’s Jaxon Zickafoose buried a triple from the right wing to make it a six-point game with just over a minute left in the quarter. Zane Trace closed the third with outstanding pick-and-roll action from Stewart to McCullough, giving the Pioneers a 41-33 advantage after three.
McCullough extended the lead with another putback at the 6:33 mark of the fourth. But after trading baskets, the turnovers began to build for the Pioneers, helping the Shermans close the gap again.
Fitch connected with Welch for an inside score and Cayden Patterson was able to force a five-second call on the ensuing possession. Welch then scored on a fallaway jumper with 3:33 to play, cutting the deficit to 45-39.
“We got into foul trouble early in the game and when we have depth like that, with young guys who can step into the game, it gives us confidence,” Fitch said. “So those guys off the bench are doing a really good job. They’re maturing through this season and it’s been really helpful.”
David Long stole the ensuing inbounds pass, leading to a Fitch score in transition. And, after a missed 3-point attempt by Zane Trace, Long found Welch inside for another score to cut ZT’s lead to two with 2:52 to play — the closest the game had been since early in the second quarter.
Stewart provided a brief moment of pause when he drove and dished off to McCullough for another inside score. But that would be the last field goal the Pioneers would tally.
On the other end, a putback basket from Coy brought forth a timeout with 1:41 to play and ZT leading 47-45.
PHOTOS: Images from Unioto’s win over Zane Trace
“He’s a great athlete and he can go up and get the rebound,” Fitch said of Coy. “He made a big-time steal on the defensive end and hit a big-time 3 on the offensive end. He stepped up tonight. With it being Senior Night and David [Long] starting [instead of Coy], he took that maturely. He came off the bench and he made an impact.”
After a controversial backcourt violation called on the Pioneers, Fitch split a pair of free throws with 1:19 to play, making it a one-point game. Unioto was then forced to foul in an attempt to get the ball back, leading to Johnson splitting a pair at the line on the other end with 39.1 seconds to go.
The next two possessions showed examples of the winning plays that Zickafoose provides each team he steps onto the court. The senior took a dribble handoff on the left wing before driving to the paint and hitting a short jumper in the lane with 25 seconds to play. He then picked up the ballhandler and picked his pocket to gain possession before hitting a streaking Welch for the go-ahead layup with 12 seconds to play, giving Unioto its first lead since early in the second quarter.
“He just does a really good job of everything,” Welch said of Zickafoose. “Defense, offense, he can rebound … He was really huge for us tonight, getting steals. Especially that last one. He’s been a good leader as well. He’s done a really good job for our team.”
Inexplicably, the Shermans fouled around halfcourt with 7.8 seconds to play, but the Pioneers were unable to connect on either attempt. After the second free throw did not touch the rim, the Shermans got the ball to Fitch, who owns the SVC record for best free throw percentage in a season.
The senior calmly sank both free throws to put the game on ice and send the Shermans’ student section into a frenzy.
McCullough’s effort was unbelievable as the senior scored a game-high 29 points and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds. Stewart added 13 points and nine rebounds of his own.
Unioto was led by Welch with 17 points, while Fitch added 11 points and five assists. Coy also finished in double figures with 10 points, and Zickafoose added seven huge points for the victors.
Things don’t get easier for the Pioneers as they’ll host Jackson on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Shermans will face another huge test on Tuesday when they host Adam Guthrie and the Miami Trace Panthers.
“These past four years have gone by so fast,” Fitch said. “I can remember my freshman year, seeing those guys on Senior Night and being like, ‘That’s so far away.’ Next thing you know, I’m playing on [my] Senior Night against our rival with the league on the line. Just a great atmosphere and a great night tonight. I’m just glad we came out with the win.”
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