Altobelli leads Union Catholic past Elizabeth in clash of state powers
The Union Catholic vs. Elizabeth showdown between state powers lived up to the hype on Tuesday night in Scotch Plains.
With a huge energetic crowd creating an electrifying atmosphere, Union Catholic, ranked No. 7 in the state, edged No. 8 ranked Elizabeth, 56-50, in a typical Union County hard-fought battle that was filled with great play on both ends of the court, and featured some great shot-making.
Senior point guard AJ Altobelli, who led the Vikings with 18 points, sank two free throws with 15 seconds to go to give UC a 54-50 lead. After an Elizabeth miss, Trevor Whitaker sank two foul shots with .3 seconds left to put the finishing touches on the dramatic win for the Vikings.
It was the third straight victory for the Vikings who overcame an 8-0 deficit to start the game. UC, now 7-2 on the season, has now defeated Elizabeth three straight times at home.
Whitaker and Malik Moore added nine points each for the Vikings, who displayed a balanced offensive attack and played its usual brand of tenacious defense to secure the win.
Union Catholic has another huge game on Thursday at 7 p.m. when the Vikings travel to play at Plainfield, ranked No. 4 in the state.
Complete Box Score »
