A pair of double-doubles was wasted by the Paoli Pugs Thursday night in the Class B Regional winner’s bracket game in Earlsboro. Cody Travis had a career high 29 points and 11 rebounds and Jerry Johnson had 11 points and 10 rebounds, but it all went for not in a rough and tumble game with Union City.
Union City took advantage of the fact the referees were allowing them to play and used an 18-0 run in the first quarter to build a lead, and Paoli had to play catch-up all night but couldn’t ever get all the way back in a 71-52 loss.
Union City used an in-your-face defense and were allowed to body up on the Pugs. Travis scored the first four points of the game as Paoli took an early lead. Union City then went to work using their aggressiveness and the non-calls scoring 18 straight points.
Johnson ended the run as he scored at the buzzer and that started a 12-2 run for the Pugs that cut the lead to four.
Union City would get on a roll in the middle of the second quarter extending their lead back out to 10 and took an eight-point lead at the break, 32-24.
Union City hit the first two baskets of the second half to open up a 12-point advantage. Johnson got the Pugs going with a basket and Travis scored six straight to help cut the lead to four. The run would continue and Johnson’s basket with three minutes to go cut the lead to one, 40-39.
A 9-2 run at the end of the quarter by Union City pushed their lead back out to eight heading into the final quarter.
Travis continued to dominate Union City as he scored all 11 points in the fourth quarter. Paoli couldn’t get any closer than 10 points and nine straight points at the end of the game by Union City pushed the final margin to 19.
The Pugs fall to the Regional Consolation bracket where they played Friday afternoon in Purcell.
UC 18 14 17 22 - 71
Paoli 6 18 17 11 - 52
Union City – Nathan Culler 22, Jacob Cervantes 21, Brandon Roberts 12, Anthony Fanzo 7, Josh Jones 6, Cody Norwood 2.
Paoli – Cody Travis 29, Jerry Johnson 11, Rickey Jeandemange 5, Dustin Mooney 5, Jake Ely 2.
