For three quarters, the Camas-Union boys basketball game was everything you might expect from a rivalry game from two of the state’s best Class 4A teams.
It was a back-and-forth affair with the visiting Papermakers holding onto a one-point lead.
Then the Titans broke away on a 14-point run to pull away for a 72-60 win over Camas.
“I thought we played with great energy the entire game,” Union junior Yanni Fassillis said. “All the guys in the first half who didn’t have their best game came in during the second half, they got to their spots and made championship plays. And that’s all you can ask for.”
Fassillis’ inside presences on offense and defense helped Union claw back from being down 46-39 midway in the third quarter. His back-to-back baskets cut the deficit to 48-47 by the end of the third quarter. He had 18 of his 20 points in the first three quarters.
But when the Papermakers focused their defense on the 6-foot-4 forward, Fassillis found other teammates cutting to the basket.
Porter Hill, in particular, had a big fourth quarter, scoring 10 of his 20 points in the final eight minutes.
“Porter Hill’s fourth quarter was awesome,” Union coach Blake Conley said. “He made so many, we call them championship plays, when you keep a ball alive. He had an offensive rebound putback. He had an and-one. He had a cut to the hoop when you have to spend so much time on Yanni. He did a great job of finding the gap and getting layups. Porter Hill, he was the X-factor in that fourth quarter.”
Hill had eight points during a 14-0 run that put Union up 61-51.
“I thought my teammates did a great job of cutting to the hoop, especially in the second half,” Fassillis said. “And I did a good job of not forcing up any bad shots against any doubles or triples. And I thought it really helped us in the end to play a little bit more freely.”
Evan Eschels added 18 points for the Titans.
Camas made six of their nine 3-pointers in the first half, taking a 38-31 lead into the intermission.
“Camas is just a hard team to guard,” Conley said. “They’ve got so many weapons, so many kids that can dribble and shoot. We had to adjust to that. And in the second half, the kids did that. They did an awesome job of adjusting to what Camas wanted to do.”
Carson Frawley, who battled through foul trouble, finished with 16 points for the Papermakers. Beckett Currie hit four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points.
But in the end, it was the Titans’ night to enjoy.
“These are the games you live for when you play basketball,” Fassillis said. “The atmosphere, the student section. There’s nothing more fun than this.”
UNION 72, CAMAS 60
CAMAS — Luke Dizon 0, Beckett Currie 14, Josh Dabasinskas 9, Jace VanVoorhis 6, Theo McMillan 5, Carson Frawley 16, Quentin Allen 2, Stephen Behil 8, Jamison Carlisle 0. Totals 22 (9) 7-11 60.
UNION — Kindrick Aragon 0, Jamison Limbrick 2, Bryson Metz 8, Evan Eschels 18, Nolan Frazier 0, Porter Hill 20, Ethan Carter 0, Tucker Dunseth 0, Yanni Fassillis 20, Josiah Baldassare 2. Totals 27 (1) 17-27.
Camas 17 21 10 12—60
Union 14 17 16 25—72
