Congratulations to the Unified Lions (3-3) for winning the Unified Sports Basketball game last night against the North Staff Lions (0-1) 100-69 in a culminating superb inclusive community event at North Hunterdon High School. Typically there are four quarters in Basketball but it was decided to play six quarters for the final game of the season.
The Unified Lions started off like a ball of fire leading after the first quarter 18-8. The Mid First Half Score the Unified Lions started pulling away with the score being 32-17. By halftime the steady play of the Unified Lions started wearing down the helpless North staff with the score at halftime being 52-30.
At Halftime, The community as well as all of the Unified staff and students celebrated Dave the Rave Robbins 78th Birthday Party.
Fun Fact, Dave was inducted into the Special Olympics Hall of Fame this year!!By the end of the third Quarter, the Unified Lions poured it on with the score being 68-43. By the Mid third quarter the North staff started to creep back with the score being 78-58. By the end of the fourth quarter the Unified Lions worked their magic to pull away from the backpedaling North staff with the Final score being 100-69.
The Unified Lions were led by #12 Danny (Junk Yard Dog) Navarro who had 22 points and 2 steals; #43 Andrew (Superman) Heaney had 18 points and 3 rebounds; #42 Sean (Shaq Diesel) Pettegrove had 12 points; #13 Maria (Storm) Clara-Sousa and #41 Carly (Traffic Cone) Moore had 8 points apiece; #51 Myla (Drop the Mic) Schultz, #40 Aidan (Showtime) Stinson and #9 Jamie (Luck of the Irish) Sullivan finishing with 6 points apiece; #6 Clare (Wonderwoman) Sturges and #54 Keith (Freight Train) Pannicke finishing with 4 points apiece. #20 Penny (The Intimidator) Johnson finished up the Unified Lions scoring with 2 points.
The North Staff was led by Chrysa (Scarlet Knight) Staiano and Meghan (Shake N Bake) Plaxe with 10 points apiece; Our Lions head Basketball Coaches Kyle (Feed me the Rock) Rehrig and Justin (The Mail Man) Matisak had 9 points apiece; Nicole (North Star) Meister had 8 points; CJ (Rockzilla) Robinson, Connor (Iceman) Robinson and Mike (V-Train) Vellucci had 5 points apiece; RJ (Cool Hand Hoops) Calabrese had 4 points; Finishing up the staff scoring was Ashley (Smooth as Silk) Post and Meghan (The Answer) Luick had 2 points apiece.
Thanks to Coaches: Unified Lions: Head Coach-Garrett Lelko; Assistant Coach Chelsey Lindaberry. North Staff: Head Coach: Tim Zaugg; Assistant Coaches – Jake Ruscher.
Thanks to Marielle Thorsen and Mark Soltis for refereeing the game; Kristen Mandicz for Athletic Training and Ellen Anderson for working the scoreboard; Frank Forte for Announcing and Riley Conaty for singing the National Anthem.
