Trib HSSN boys basketball team of the week for Feb. 23, 2025

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, February 23, 2025 | 6:02 PM

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Trib HSSN boys basketball team of the week: Union Scotties

Coach: Mark Stanley (9th season in second stint, 18 years total at Union)

Records: 10-4 in Section 4-2A, 18-6 overall

#Earned: In its first year moving up from Class A to 2A, Union finished in third place in a competitive Section 4-2A, three games behind section winner Neshannock and two games back of second-place Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. The Scotties were the No. 8 seed in the 2A bracket, earning a first-round home playoff game against 2024 semifinalist Fort Cherry. Leading by five points after the first quarter, the Scotties took control in the second, outscoring the Rangers, 24-12, and leading by 17 at the half. Union pulled away and cruised to the opening-round victory, 70-49. That set up a showdown in the quarterfinals against the No. 1 seed, Greensburg Central Catholic. It was a close game throughout with the Scotties leading by one after the opening quarter, the Centurions taking a three-point lead at the half and the score being tied heading into the fourth quarter. Union took the lead for good with 95 seconds remaining, then stopped GCC on two separate possessions to hold on for the upset win, 44-42. Through the quarterfinals, GCC was the only top-seed to fall in the 12 WPIAL boys and girls basketball playoffs.

Scoring stars: The youngest of four sons for Union head coach Mark Stanley, senior guard Lucas Stanley showed why he might be the best sharpshooter of the fearsome foursome. Averaging 24.6 points, Lucas Stanley was lights out for the Scotties in the first-round win over Fort Cherry, scoring 36 points. Two other teammates joined him in double-digit scoring as sophomore Jordyn Kelley had 11 points and sophomore Landon Eckert scored 10. In the quarterfinals stunner over Greensburg Central Catholic, Stanley had to deal with a GCC box-and-one junk defense but still managed to score 14 points. He also connected on the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:35 left in regulation, connected on a free throw with 15 seconds remaining to build the lead to two points, then collected the game-clinching rebound before time expired. Senior Jamel Mitchell had a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Scotties.

Last season: In the last four years playing in Class A before realignment bumped Union up to Class 2A, the Scotties reached the district semifinals all four years and played in two district championship games, falling to Bishop Canevin and Imani Christian in back-to-back seasons in 2022 and 2023. A year ago, Union finished in second place in Section 1-A, one game behind Rochester. As the No. 5 seed, the Scotties rolled past Hillel Academy in the first round 67-43, then eliminated Monessen, 70-58, in the quarterfinals. However, in the semifinals, Union ran into old nemesis Imani Christian and lost 101-67. The Scotties defeated Turkeyfoot Valley and Elk County Catholic in the first two rounds of the PIAA playoffs before losing to Bishop Carroll out of District 6, 80-73, finishing the season with a record of 17-12.

Remember when: Union has come close to adding another boys basketball championship banner in recent years to go along with their improbable title run over two decades ago. In the fifth year of his first stint as Scotties head coach, Mark Stanley guided Union into the postseason with a 12-10 record. As the No. 12 seed, Union stunned No. 5 St. Joseph, 66-60, in the first round and then upset No. 4 Monaca, 52-47, in the quarterfinals. It was a surprise showdown in the Class A semifinals against a No. 8-seeded California team that had just upended top-seed Monessen in the quarterfinals. In another close game, the Scotties eliminated the Trojans, 58-55. Union faced No. 2 Clairton in the 2003 WPIAL championship game, and it again went down to the wire, with the Scotties’ remarkable postseason run ending with a title-game win over the Bears, 52-48.

2025 Trib HSSN Boys Basketball Teams of the Week

Week 7 – Knoch Knights

Week 6 – Woodland Hills Wolverines

Week 5 – Jeannette Jayhawks

Week 4 – Baldwin Highlanders

Week 3 – Elizabeth Forward Warriors

Week 2 – New Castle Red Hurricanes

Week 1 – Keystone Oaks Golden Eagles

Tags: Union