Collins, Utica stay on a roll at Newark Catholic

On Feb 18, 2023

NEWARK ― After sitting 10 minutes of the first half with foul trouble Friday, Trenton Collins more than made up for lost time.

Not only did Utica’s senior star finish a game-ending 13-0 run with an emphatic dunk, but he scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half, helping the Redskins continue their late-season surge with a 51-38 Licking County League-Cardinal Division win against feisty Newark Catholic.

The Green Wave (5-16, 2-13), with a packed house on their Senior Night, played inspired basketball before Utica (14-8, 8-7) snapped a 38-38 tie and held NC scoreless over the final five minutes, winning its fifth consecutive game.

“He (Collins) fills it up every night, but because he was on the bench for so long, he was fresh when he came in,” coach Brian Radabaugh said. “He had a lot of energy, and we needed it. We stayed true to ourselves. Our kids have played in a lot of close games, a lot of big games, in great environments, and that definitely helped us tonight. They didn’t panic.”

The 6-foot-4 guard didn’t score until the final two minutes of the first half. However, his two floaters seemed to get him going and it carried over to the second half, when he tallied 10 points in both the third and fourth quarters.

“It seemed like we were lacking in energy, and once I saw Brody (McDaniel) get an ‘and one,’ it was just a matter of making my first one,” Collins said. “Once I got it down, everything started going in. It felt good. We thrive on big crowds.”

Despite Collins’ big third quarter that included a 3-point play in transition and a pair of spin moves, NC hung tough, getting points from five different players and still holding a 33-29 lead late in the third on a 3-pointer by senior Braylon Bates. And the Green Wave knotted the score at 38-38 with 5:30 left on sophomore Griffin Urdarovski’s 3, off an assist by senior Bobby Franks. But NC, just 2-of-11 in the fourth quarter, never scored again.

“I don’t think we ran out of gas,” said coach Travis Schwab. “We missed some layups, and a lot of the shots we were making earlier, just didn’t go in. Our kids played really hard. We walk out of here with heads held high.”

Collins and junior lefty Roman Gamble combined to finish off the host team, Collins scoring eight points over the final 3:10 and Gamble making all four of his foul shots. He finished 10-of-10 at the line and added 16 points.

“Our assistant coach is always mentioning defense to us. and earlier this year, we were struggling on defense,” Collins said. “But as it’s gotten later, we’ve been playing a whole lot better.”

“I’m always looking to do my part on the offensive end,” said McDaniel, who drilled six 3-pointers in a recent win against East Knox. “But we have so many guys who can score. Tonight, we came together and played good defense. We did not play our best game in the first half, and we were still close.”

NC senior Joe Stanley fed off the Senior Night atmosphere early on, scoring all eight of his points including a pair of 3s as the Green Wave built a 23-14 lead late in the half, as Bates and junior Owen Helms both hit from long distance. But Gamble’s nine points helped Utica stay within striking distance, and Collins chopped the deficit to 23-18 at the half.

“He (Collins) is so big and athletic,” Schwab said. “He can just shoot right over you. We wanted to make the other guys beat us, but Gamble kept them in the game the first half. They’re a very good team.”

At under 6-foot, McDaniel still provided a spark on the boards for Utica, scrapping for eight rebounds, while another guard, Gavin Chinn, added six. “I like the hustle plays, being tough,” McDaniel said. “I grew up on a farm, and I’ve always worked hard.”

“They had a bit of a size advantage on us, and we really battled, played with toughness and grit,” Radabaugh said.

It wasn’t exactly a shooting clinic, as Utica was 16-of-39 from the field for 41 percent, and NC went 13-of-42 for 31 percent. But the Redskins were 16-of-25 at the line for 64 percent, compared to just 5-of-12 by the Green Wave.

“We’re playing our best at the right time,” said Radabaugh, whose 12th-seeded team hosts 20th seed Mount Gilead on Wednesday in their Division III tournament opener. “We have some momentum.”