Titans use defense to lock down 3A GSHL crown
CAMAS — The league title was there for the taking, and that turned out to be the only story line the Union boys basketball team would need Thursday night.
“We knew all the scenarios, all the speculation. Other people were saying, ‘What if we lose?’ Maco wouldn’t even talk about scenarios with us,” Union guard Chris Morgan said, referring to coach Maco Hamilton. “We take care of business, we win, and we’re league champions.”
Simple plan, and then the Titans went out and executed it, rolling past rival Camas 51-39 to clinch the Class 3A Greater St. Helens League championship.
Union (13-7, 8-2) will get a bye into the upcoming district tournament’s championship game.
“This was one of our goals coming into the season,” said Morgan, who led the Titans with 14 points. “We won the district title last year, but we didn’t get a league title. To get the first league title in Union (basketball) history is a big deal for us.”
Union earned this distinction with defense, not of its reputation of being a high-scoring machine.
The Titans held the Papermakers to two points in the second quarter, finished the half on a 14-0 run and scored the first two points of the second half for a 16-point cushion.
Camas’ Jacob Kaler scored eight points in the first quarter, got the two points to start the second quarter for the Papermakers, and then was pretty much held in check the rest of the night.
The Titans went big, with man-to-man pressure that included 6-foot-6 Mitch Saylor and the 6-3 Taylor Nelson and his linebacker mentality from football.
The two also helped out on offense. Saylor scored eight points, including five in the 14-0 run, and Nelson finished with seven points.
For Nelson, though, it was his defense that stood out for the Titans. Besides harassing Kaler, he also pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds.
“The key to winning would be if we could stop them, we’d get a lot more freedom on offense,” Nelson said. “It was a low-scoring game, but it was because our defense was so good we were able to win.”
The second quarter illustrated his point. The Papermakers went 1 for 12 in the period, missing 10 in a row after Kaler’s bucket to make it 12-all.
“I would honestly say that was the best game of team defense,” Morgan said. “I’ve been here since the start, this is my third year, and this is the best team defense we’ve played, and that stretch was the best stretch of team defense we’ve played.”
He said he did not know how effective the Titans were until Hamilton told them at halftime that Camas was held to two points in that quarter.
“You don’t even realize it when it’s happening. You’re focused and dialed in,” Morgan said.
Kaler was 4 of 6 from the field that first half. The rest of the Papermakers were 1 of 18. Camas finished 12 of 47 in the game.
Hamilton said the Titans are more physical this year. Thursday, the muscle matched up with basketball IQ.
“That was our most intense effort we’ve had,” Hamilton said. “It’s great for them to bring their mental game and the physical aspect.”
Kaler’s 11 points led Camas. Kyle Friend had five points and 13 rebounds.
The Titans did not shoot particularly well, either — 17 of 49 — but that performance exceeded Camas’ effort enough for the double-digit victory.
And the league title.
