By Richard L. Gaw
Staff Writer

Mastering a craft is not often paved with gifted brilliance but through the methodical practice of performing the small details over and over until they become as instinctual as breathing.

Moments prior to the Unionville Boys Varsity basketball game against visiting Avon Grove on Jan. 4, the Longhorns squad could be heard behind the closed and shuttered doors of an auxiliary gym, likely in the step-by-step ballet of ball control and defensive drills directed by their Head Coach Chris Cowles and his assistants. 

About an hour later, when Zach Dolce’s three-point shot gave the Longhorns a come-from-behind 41-39 victory with nine seconds remaining in the game, the redundant toil of that gym session seemed worth their efforts.

Dolce’s game-winner from the top of the key was the ending to an early-season battle that saw two teams with losing records battle through turnovers and herky-jerky offensive possessions in a game of pure will and resilience. Unionville was coming off a heartbreaking triple-overtime loss against Chichester on Jan. 2, and Avon Grove was struggling with a 4-7 overall record despite a 61-47 win against West Chester East two days before.

Unionville took advantage of their distance shooting early, as they nailed down four three-pointers in the first quarter – two by Tommy McGinnis and one each by Jack Robbins and Dolce – to break out to a 14-6 lead at the start of the second quarter. The hot touch from deep was short-lived for the Longhorns, however, as forced passes and turnovers interrupted Cowle’s “pass-and-move” offense. Led by point guard Tashaan McClain, Avon Grove marched back on McClain’s stolen pass and layup with 5:40 that cut Unionville’s lead to 16-10, which was followed by two three-pointers by Eddie Trainer – the second from the corner with a minute left in the half – that left the Longhorns clinging to a slim 23-18 lead at halftime.

If there was a quarter where the wheels of the Longhorns’ wagon threatened to derail, it was the third, when they were held to just six points and clung to a 24-21 lead with 4:30 left. After James Brenner followed up a rebound with a three-point play that extended Unionville’s lead to 27-21 with four minutes remaining, Avon Grove went on a scoring tear that brought them to within two points – 29-27 -- when Bryce Cox hit a three-point jumper as time expired in the quarter.

“We are continuing to work on [ball control] in practice and it will just be a matter of our guys really focusing on the details and executing them in practice at full speed and then being able to translate that into the game and trust themselves in the game,” Cowles said of his team’s poor third quarter, when they only scored six points. “Until we embrace the details and truly focus, we are continuing to run into issues.”  

The Red Devils began the fourth quarter with much of the same momentum. With 6:20 remaining, Jackson Mills took a pass from Will Gillin to the hole, was fouled and converted the three-point play that gave Avon Grove a 30-29 lead. McCain then drained a three-pointer that extended the Red Devils’ lead to 33-29, and after Brenner hit a three-pointer with 4:48 remaining, Cox hit his second three-pointer with 3:40 left that gave Avon Grove a 36-34 lead.

For the next two minutes, the teams traded buckets and subsequently flip-flopped the lead: Dolce scored in the paint with 1:42 that tied the score at 36. On Avon Grove’s next possession, a three-point bomb by Avon Grove’s Blaine Bushey gave the Red Devils a three-point lead that was followed by a basket by Brenner that pulled the Longhorns within one point, 39-38.

After a time out with 28 seconds left, Robbins stole an in-bound pass and called a time out with 21 seconds remaining that soon after led to Dolce’s game-winning shot.

“We were manufacturing good shots, whether it was out of sets or in transition,” Cowles said of his team’s comeback in the fourth quarter. “We have to be able to make routine plays routinely and points will come from that.”

The Longhorns were led by Brenner’s 17 points, followed by Dolce with 11 points. For the Red Devils, Mills led the way with 7 points, followed by Trainer, Cox, McClain and Bushey with six points apiece.

With the win, Unionville raised its overall record to 5-7 overall and traveled to Bayard Rustin for a Jan. 7 contest and will return home for a 7:30 p.m. tilt against their cross-rivals Kennett at the Unionville Gymnasium on Jan. 9. Avon Grove will look to get back in the winning column when they play host to Downingtown West on Jan. 9 and Bayard Rustin on Jan. 11.

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email [email protected].