Boys Varsity Basketball | 2/23/2023 7:55:00 AM

Raheem Williams continued his torrid shooting from deep when he connected on five three-pointers and scored 24 points to fuel Union Catholic to a 69-51 victory over St. John Vianney in the opening round of the NJSIAA South Jersey, Non-Public A boys basketball tournament in front of a huge crowd on Wednesday night in Scotch Plains.

With the victory, the fifth-seeded and red hot Vikings (17-9), who have won nine of their last 10 games, advanced to play at fourth-seeded Paul VI in the second round of the tournament on Friday at 5:15 p.m. Paul VI earned a spot in the second round with a 9-32 over Donovan Catholic. The only team that has defeated the Vikings in their last 10 games is Roselle Catholic, the No.1 ranked team in the state.

The Vikings broke up a tight game with a big burst in the second quarter and controlled the game for the entire second half on the way to the 18-point victory  

With UC clinging to a 21-20 lead halfway through the second quarter, Williams, a senior guard, caught fire by igniting a 10-0 run with back-to-back three-pointers. Williams scored nine of his 11 first half points in the second quarter to help UC take a 31-23 lead into the third quarter.

When St. John Vianney cut the deficit to 38-31 early in the third quarter, UC down on defense and went on a 9-1 to open a 15-point lead.

Yaw Ansong, UC's 6-11 sophomore forward, was a dominate force on both ends of the floor for UC. He finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocked shots. Sophomore point guard AJ Altobelli had a strong game for the Vikings with eight assists, seven points, three steals, and three rebounds.