For the first time in school history, the Union Catholic basketball team won the Union
County Championship game. The game was played on February 18th at Kean University and
was an incredible display of Union Catholic’s immense skill as a team. The game was an
electrifying win against Roselle Catholic, who were defending their 2-year streak of winning this
tournament.
After defeating Elizabeth in the Watchung Conference Championship, the Vikings
clinched the number 2 seed for the Union County tournament. This high seed gave the Vikings
two bye games, and they would only need three wins to stamp their position as county champions.
Their first game was against the 14-12 Westfield Blue Devils, where the Vikings had a decisive
78-51 win behind junior Luke Schorr’s 21 points. They then played a 21-7 Cranford. Despite a
strong effort from Cranford, the Vikings won 68-62.
After this win, the UC Vikings were set to play against Roselle Catholic, a state
powerhouse, in the county finals. One UC student said that going into the game, they were
nervous because of Roselle Catholic’s reputation as a basketball school. The UC Vikings’ Blue
The crew (student fans) rallied to go to the game and put as much energy into their
cheering as possible. This student enthusiasm created an exhilarating environment for all people at the game.
Towards the beginning of this game, both teams had a fighting chance. The first quarter ended
with a score of 17-13, with the Vikings leading. This close lead stayed consistent throughout the second quarter as well, with Union Catholic leading 28-25 going into the half. However, the third quarter shifted the pace of this game. The Vikings went on a solid run and ended the quarter up by 12. The Vikings continued on this track and ended up winning the game 66-56.
This win was led by UC’s duo of FK Muntari and Yaw Ansong, who combined for 29
points and 12 rebounds. Immediately after the win, the energy in the gymnasium was booming.
The UC Blue Crew, cheerleaders, and players were all thrilled with this win and wanted to
celebrate. One player was quoted as saying that this environment was similar to when the
Vikings won the state championship a year prior. With many starters returning to UC next year,
they will be a force to be reckoned with in the future and should be back in this position soon.
