Union County earned its fifth win Friday and the Franklin County Wildcats fell to 4-8 after a back-and-forth game fell into UC's hands in the final seconds.  

The Patriots got the first basket of the game on their opening possession, going inside to Kyle Sams for a layup. The Cats matched that score plus a point when senior Eli Butt hit an open Isaiah Kemp for a corner three. Logan Harris put UC back up one with a nifty move and layup. Butt hit a 12-foot jumper on FC's next possession, then increased the Cats' lead with a three-point basket. FC led 8-4 at the 5:30 mark. The following minute of play saw UC's Mason Stewart score twice to tie the game up. Gavin Davis regained the lead for his Patriots midway through the frame after nailing an open jumper. The next two minutes saw defense take the stage for both squads. A Stewart layup for UC and a Nick Vanoven bucket for the Cats had UC up 12-10. With 1:40 to go in the quarter Kemp hit from deep again, giving FC a one-point lead. FC led after one quarter, 13-12.

Nearly two and a half minutes rolled off the clock before the first bucket of the second quarter fell. Sams scored for UC off an offensive rebound. The Patriots went back to Sams the next trip down and UC took a three-point advantage. The lead lasted less than 10 seconds with an outlet pass to FC's Kemp, setting him up to hit his third deep ball of the night and tying the game at 16-16. The score remained knotted until midway through the quarter when Butt hit an open three-pointer for the visitors. Caden Coffman got an open look and tied the game up with a three-pointer of his own. Kemp was feeling hot for the Cats because he took and hit a 30-footer on FC's next possession. A UC turnover saw Brady Foster go coast to coast and the Cats had pulled ahead by seven with just over two minutes to go. Butt collected a hoop and harm on the Cats' next possession, adding three more FC points. Foster gathered another steal and finish for FC, and they pushed their lead to 10. Stewart was able to stop the FC run and a tip in from a Sams miss netted the Patriots two points before the half ended. The Cats led midway 29-21.

Quinn Gillman hit the back end of a pair of free throws for the Cats to start the third quarter. UC scored next when Davis corralled a loose ball and fed Nick Watterson for a three-point basket. FC's Blake Stephenson scored to make it an eight-point Cats' lead, but Watterson got open again and added three more points for UC. A quick turnover got UC the ball back and Watterson pulled a three-peat, hitting from the same spot as UC pulled to within two points with five minutes to go in the quarter. The Patriots tied the game up 30 seconds later with Stewart doing the honors. The game stayed tied at 32-32 until the 3:30 mark when Gillman added another free throw for FC. FC maintained the one-point advantage until Butt hit a freebie that made it a two-point Cats' lead with just over a minute remaining in the frame. UC's Harris was hacked and sank both shots, tying the game at 34-34. Just as the quarter expired, Butt went to the line for FC and put them back up two. 

UC got the lead back with Stewart hitting a freebie and Sams knocking down two shots from the line. The Patriots were up again by one with seven minutes to go. Kemp, who was quiet for FC in the third quarter, got back in the scoring column with another deep ball and another scoring lead change that put the Cats back up. Kemp added a free throw a minute later, then Davis added a UC free throw, keeping it a one-possession game. With three minutes to go Coffman tied the game, hitting from under the basket. Sams scored while getting fouled with a minute to go in the game and the Patriots went up 42-40. With 33 seconds to go, Gillman scored for FC and the game was tied again. UC called a timeout and drew the final play. Passing the ball around until just six seconds remained, Watterson took a pass and drove to the basket, scoring for the Patriots. The Cats got one last shot attempt from Butt that fell short and the Patriots earned a 44-42 win. UC stopped a four-game win streak for the Cats in the annual matchup, the Patriots last win coming in 2019. 

Individual Scoring FC- Kemp 16, Butt 14, Gillman and Foster 4, Vanoven and Stephenson 2. UC- Sams 12, Watterson 11, Stewart 9, Coffman 5, Harris 4, Davis 3.

The Patriots host Eastern Hancock on Friday.