It was a fun start for the Union boys basketball team. And that made for a fun finish for the Titans, too.
“Being up that early really makes you happy,” senior Riley Hawken said. “It brings a positive energy to the court.”
There certainly was a Union vibe Wednesday night against the Prairie Falcons.
“Once you start like that, it just makes the game a little bit easier down the stretch,” added sophomore Cameron Cranston.
Hawken and Cranston combined to score Union’s first 14 points, giving the Titans a 14-2 lead that turned into a 19-2 first quarter en route to a 60-40 victory over the Falcons in a non-league game.
Cranston finished with a game-high 22 points. He made 8 of 11 shots, including five 3-pointers. Hawken, meanwhile, had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
The Titans were so strong Tuesday that they did not need even a shot attempt in the first quarter from returning all-league guard Micah Paulson.
“We’re a lot deeper. That’s nice to have,” Union coach Blake Conley said. “Different guys can step up.”
That was Cranston this game. He struggled with his shot in Union’s previous outing.
“He’s not going to have two bad shooting nights in a row,” Conley said.
Cranston also put an end to any hopes of a Prairie rally. The Falcons, down 22 at one point and 20 at the break, cut the deficit to 12 points going into the fourth quarter. Then Cranston struck again, a 3-ball to put Union back in control.
“Just a weight lifted,” Cranston said. “That kind of got us out of the slump we were in. It brought everyone up.”
Hawken, meanwhile, had his second dunk of the night to give Union a 56-35 advantage. This one came from the half-court offense. He said he had the easy job, after a series of passes led to the defense scrambling, leaving Hawken open.
“Find the open guy and make smart passes,” Hawken explained. “Nothing fancy. Just making the extra pass.”
Prairie’s Greg Bernash had six of his team-high 12 points in the third quarter. He finished 5 of 7 from the floor. Dwayne Stewart added 10 points for the Falcons.
“I liked our intensity coming out this game,” Conley said. “That’s a good team. Prairie’s a good team. And when they made their run … we had a bad third quarter, but we responded really well in the fourth quarter. Our defense hasn’t been good the first two games. To hold them to 40 points, that was definitely encouraging.”
The Titans hope to be peaking a little earlier than most of the rest of the Class 4A Greater St. Helens League. Because Union is playing in a tournament next week, the team’s first league game got moved up to Friday against Camas. Some of the Papermakers were in the gym Tuesday, watching.
The Titans noticed.
“It’s a good reminder that we have to be on the top of our game, no matter what,” Hawken said.
UNION 60, PRAIRIE 40
PRAIRIE — Palmer Goecke 2, Jacob Davidson 8, Michael Stockbridge 2, Greg Bernash 12, Dwayne Stewart 10, Ethan Rouse 0, Koy Osborn 3, Seth Hall 3, Brandon Crosby 0. Totals 12-43 (3-21) 13-15 40.
UNION — Cole Weatherspoon 0, Micah Paulson 3, Cameron Cranston 22, Riley Hawken 15, Denis Kirichenko 3, Carson Brucher 3, Nico Bricker 5, Brennan Paulson 0, Keithen Shepard 0, Thomas Lampkin Jr. 5, Stephan Ammentorp 2, Nick Simpkins 2. Totals 23-46 (7-21) 7-15 60.
Prairie 2 13 15 10–40
Union 19 16 7 18–60
JV — Union 66-53. C — Union 65-30.
