UNION CITY – The Christian Laettner play. Laettner came up huge for Duke all those years ago, and on this night it was Casey Vincent to Jarrett Johnson for an important 41-39 Region 3 win at the buzzer.

Vincent inbounded a long pass to Johnson with 1.3 seconds remaining in a 39-39 tie, and with John Potts attempting a pick for Johnson, he caught the ball and hit a fadeaway from at about the free throw line to improve Ike to 7-5 in the region.

That keeps the Knights close with Saegertown, the top Class AA team in the regin at 7-4 entering Friday’s play.

“The big thing, the kids are playing better,” said Ike coach Dave Allenson, whose Knights are 12-8 overall. Union City is now 9-11 overall and 6-6 in the region. “They are playing better defense, they are hustling.”

More important than Vincent scoring 19 of the team’s 41 on Friday “was his hustle,” said Allenson, who added he rarely singles players out, but Vincent’s hustle set the tone. Johnson finished with 16 points, including 6-of-6 at the line.

Ike led by 10 entering the fourth quarter, but only won it at the buzzer with Vincent to Johnson to beat Union City for the first time in three matchups.

Nick Smelko was 4-for-4 from the free throw line in overtime of Eisenhower’s 38-32 junior varsity win.

EISENHOWER (41): Vincent 7 3-3 19, Hunt 1 0-0 2, Johnson 5 6-6 16, Sanders 1 0-0 2, Potts 0 0-1 0, J. Harvey 1 0-1 2, Hayes 0 0-0 0, B. Harvey 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 9-11 41.

UNION CITY (39): Miller 1 7-8 9, Mangol 1 1-2 4, Schuyler 1 0-0 2, Maynard 6 0-3 16, L. Daugherty 3 2-3 8. Totals 12 10-16 39.

Eisenhower 14 8 13 6 – 39

Union City 11 6 6 14 – 39

3-pointers: E-Vincent 2; U-Mangol, Maynard 4.

Junior varsity game

EISENHOWER (38): Reynolds 2 0-1 5, Myer 0 0-0 0, Z. Fincher 3 0-0 8, R. Venman 0 0-0 0, G. Venman 0 0-0 0, A. Fincher 0 0-0 0, Perrin 0 0-0 0, Smelko 3 4-4 10, Wolcott 2 0-0 4, Th. Warren 5 1-6 11. Totals 15 5-11 38.

UNION CITY (32): Dawson 4 0-0 9, Elias 3 2-2 11, Gardner 1 0-0 3, Baxter 1 2-2 5, Hopson 0 4-6 4. Totals 9 8-10 32.

Eisenhower 10 6 12 4 6 – 38

Union City 10 10 8 4 0 – 32

3-pointers: E-Reynolds, Z. Fincher 2; U-Dawson, Elias 3, Gardner, Baxter.

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WARREN 62, FORT LeBOEUF 53

WATERFORD – Warren overcame a 22-17 Fort LeBoeuf first quarter to pull out a 62-53 Region 6 win on Friday at Fort LeBoeuf High School.

Warren coach Jeff Berdine said the Dragons did a much better job on defense, “keeping guys in front of us and limiting penetration,” in the second half – after the Bison hit five of their six 3-pointers in a 33-32 first half.

The key play of the game may have been when Warren’s Scott Vasilisin penetrated and dished to Jacoby Passmore for a 3-pointer from the corner and a 39-37 Dragons’ lead they would not relinquish.

Vasilisin finished with five assists, Max Gross 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Evan Suppa 12 points, including 6-of-6 at the line in the fourth quarter. Warren was 11-of-15 at the line in a 15-10 fourth.

WARREN (62): Vasilisin 1 6-8 8, Waterfield 0 1-2 1, Stanz 2 2-2 6, White 0 0-0 0, Nowacki 0 6-10 6, Suppa 5 2-2 12, Skerda 1 1-2 3, Gross 9 1-7 19, Passmore 3 0-0 7. Totals 21 19-33 62.

FORT LEBOEUF (53): Greggs 5 0-0 12, Sweeney 0 0-0 0, Miller 2 2-2 6, Stone 1 0-0 3, Young 2 1-1 6, Lombardozzi 7 2-5 17, Marzka 0 0-0 0, Hashim 4 0-0 9. Totals 21 5-8 53.

Warren 17 15 15 15 – 62

Fort LeBoeuf 22 11 10 10 – 53

3-point goals: W-Passmore; F-Greggs 2, Stone, Young, Lombardozzi, Hashim.

Junior varsity game

WARREN (37): Sturdevant 0 0-0 0, Gillotti 0 0-0 0, Galloway 6 1-1 17, Funari 2 2-2 7, Becker 4 1-2 9, Deppas 0 2-4 2, Baldensperger 0 0-0 0, Bablak 0 0-0 0, Swanson 0 0-0 0, Davis 1 0-0 2, Blair 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 6-9 37.

FORT LEBOEUF (24): Rapp 1 0-0 3, Comic 1 2-2 4, Stone 6 0-0 15, Olson 1 0-0 2. Totals 9 2-2 24.

Warren 14 6 7 10 – 37

Fort LeBoeuf 3 4 8 9 – 24

3-pointers: W-Galloway 5, Funari; F-Rapp, Stone 3.

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COCHRANTON 73, YOUNGSVILLE 26

COCHRANTON – Youngsville falls to 0-12 in Region 3 with a loss at second-place Cochranton (9-3).

Jon Uplinger was the only Youngsville player in double figures with 10 of the Eagles’ 26 points.

YOUNGSVILLE (26): Flinn 2 0-0 5, Uplinger 3 4-5 10, Sherrard 1 1-2 3, Chuzie 1 0-3 3, Hendrickson 1 0-0 2, Kesterholt 0 1-2 1, Lyons 1 0-0 2. Totals 9 6-12 26.

COCHRANTON (73): N. Wigton 5 2-4 14, Sekerski 8 4-5 20, Staudt 2 0-0 4, Br. Baker 0 1-2 1, Ford 2 0-0 6, Hoffman 1 0-0 2, Offi 5 1-1 12, Freyermuth 1 0-0 2, Greenlee 1 0-0 2, Yoder 2 4-4 10. Totals 27 12-16 73.

Youngsville 6 7 9 4 – 26

Cochranton 17 20 16 20 – 73

3-point goals: Y-Flinn, Chuzie; C-N. Wigton 2, Ford 2, Yoder 2, Offi.

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WCCS 37, CCSI 27

Playing without several upperclassmen, the Warren County Christian School boys picked up win over CCSI, 37-27, Friday at WCCS.

The Lions agreed not to dress junior and senior starters Erik Sorensen, Zack Ballard, and Trevor Phelps due to CCSI having a younger roster. Sophomore Josiah Poindexter picked up the slack, leading the host Lions with 10 points in the win while Dan Lauffenburger added eight. Tommy Jones and Josh Jones finished with six points each.

Poindexter and Josh Jones each scored four points in the fourth quarter to help hold off a late CCSI rally.

The WCCS boys (2-8) host Jamestown Bethel on Tuesday.

CCSI (27): J. Lashbrook 3 4-6 10, Fultz 1 0-0 2, W. Lashbrook 1 2-7 4, Steiger 0 0-0 0, B. Lashbrook 0 0-0 0, Brandenburg 1 1-3 3, Gillette 3 0-0 6. Totals 9 7-16 27.

WCCS (37): M. Brenner 0 0-0 0, T. Jones 3 1-1 6, Kerr 0 0-0 0, Poindexter 5 0-1 10, S. Brenner 1 0-0 2, J. Jones 3 0-3 6, Root 1 0-0 2, Lauffenburger 4 0-0 8, Weidner 0 0-0 0, D. Jones 0 0-0 0, J. Sorensen 0 0-0 0, Havle 0 0-0 0, Matteson 0 0-0 0, Peterson 1 0-0 2. Totals 18 1-5 37.

CCSI 3 7 6 11 – 27

WCCS 8 7 8 14 – 37

3-pointers: C – none; W – none.