Wednesday, February 20, 2008

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

Justin Sanchez made three-pointers on Union Hill's first two possessions of the game and finished with a career high 31 points as the Hillers knocked Hudson Catholic out of the HCIAA quarterfinals, 57-45.

UNION CITY – Justin Sanchez had been a part of some very good Union Hill teams over his four-year varsity career. But the difference between being a very good team and being a great team is measured by championships won. Facing a halftime deficit against Hudson Catholic in the HCIAA-Coviello quarterfinals on Tuesday night in what could have been his last county tournament game, Sanchez carried his team to victory.

Sanchez finished with a game-high 31 points as Union Hill, the No. 2 seed, pulled away in the second half en route to a 57-45 over seventh-seeded Hudson Catholic.

“In the second half, we loosened up and played our game,” said Union Hill head coach Carlos Cueto.

Virtually no time was wasted in Sanchez grabbing the hot hand. He hit three-pointers on the Hillers’ first two possessions for a 6-0 lead.

Jonathan Cortez had team-highs of 18 points, four steals, and three assists for Hudson Catholic.

The Hawks were down as many as seven, but stayed in the game with solid half-court defense. Hudson Catholic pulled ahead midway through the second quarter on a three-pointer from Jonathan Cortez. Robert Doughty came off the bench to score seven points in the period as the Hawks grabbed a 25-23 halftime lead.

“They were playing a lot harder than us and we had to come back and play a lot harder than them,” said Sanchez. “Seniors have to step up in a game like this. It’s playoff time boss, you have to keep your poise.”

Union Hill went to a full-court 1-2-2 trap to start the second half and it paid immediate dividends. The Hillers forced turnovers on three of the HC’s first four trips of the second half. They turned all three of those extra possessions into baskets to take a lead they would not relinquish. However, it was when Union Hill had already grabbed a six-point lead when a key hustle play late in the third period gave the Hillers some added cushion.

“The third quarter has been the story of our season,” said Hudson Catholic head coach Damel Ling. “We played hard, but we didn’t get a couple of baskets. Our intensity dropped and against a team like Union Hill you can’t do that.”

Jewry Hernandez had nine points and eight rebounds as UH advanced to the HCIAA-Coviello semifinals.

Juan Contreras dove to the floor to pounce on a loose ball off of a missed shot. He tapped it to Stephen Arxer, who fed a wide-open Sanchez. The senior guard nailed a three-pointer to push the lead up to nine. The Hawks never got closer than six points from there on. The Hillers showed patience and used the clock to their advantage in the fourth quarter. Sanchez was money at the charity stripe down the stretch as Union Hill moved on to the HCIAA-Coviello semifinals.

“(Juan) Contreras made a big play when he dove on the floor and gave us an extra possession,” added Cueto. “Sanchez then hit the three, that was a big possession for us.”

Sanchez’s 31 points were a career-high for Union Hill. He was 6 of 10 from three-point range and 13 of 16 from the foul line. Jewry Hernandez had nine points and eight rebounds. The Hillers also got great defense from Contreras and Jose Matta, who also gave them some offensive punch by combining for 13 points.

Cortez had team-highs of 18 points, four steals, and three assists for Hudson Catholic, whose season came to a close with a 10-14 record. Doughty and Brian Eatman came off the bench to score 10 and eight points, respectively.

Robert Doughty scored 10 points for Hudson Catholic, which saw its season end with a 10-14 record.

Win or lose, Thursday night's home game will be the last ever at Union Hill. The school building will become a middle school while Union City's two high schools, Union Hill and Emerson, will merge into one. The school will be called Union City High School, its nickname will be the Soaring Eagles and the school building will be a brand new state-of-the-art facility on Kennedy Boulevard. Union City High School will not open until September of 2009, but the sports teams will merge for the 2008-09 school year.

Union Hill's final home game will be against third-seeded Lincoln, an 84-73 winner over North Bergen on Tuesday night, in the HCIAA-Coviello semifinals. The two teams have a history as Union Hill lost to Lincoln in last year’s HCIAA-Coviello final before getting its revenge in a regular season meeting earlier this year. Unfortunately, that game was marred by a brawl. Thursday's game will likely be played in an empty gym, but with a spot in the HCIAA-Coviello final on the line, the focus should be on basketball.

“In this county, anybody can beat anybody,” said Cueto. “We survived and advanced. No matter who we play, it’s going to be a battle.”

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