Grant Union’s Lukas Blood floats a shot toward the basket during his team’s 81-77 win over top-ranked Union on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023, at Grant Union High School.

The Grant Union boys basketball team had four players in double figures, led by Talon Van Cleave’s 26-point effort, as they downed the top-ranked Union Bobcats 81-77 in front of an energized crowd on Thursday, Dec. 21, at Grant Union High School.

The Bobcats looked every bit the part of the No. 1 team in the state early, going on a 14-4 run to build a 16-6 lead with 2:00 left to play in the first quarter. The Pros would add five more points over the final two minutes of the first to trail 16-9 headed into the second quarter.

The Pros came out inspired on defense in the second, inserting themselves into Union passing lanes and creating turnovers to systematically cut into the Bobcat lead. A Lukas Blood three would put the Pros within five at 22-17 with 5:00 to play in the half.

Baryn Huerta continued his hot shooting, burying a three with less than a minute left to put the Pros within one point of the Bobcats. A Sheldon Lenz layup on the ensuing Prospector possession gave the squad their first lead of the game at 29-28.

A technical foul on the Bobcats resulted in a pair of Prospector free throws and a 31-28 lead with a mere :30 left in the first half. Union would draw to within one at intermission, hitting a pair of free throws with no time on the clock to leave the Pros nursing a slim 31-30 lead at the half.

The Pros would come out hot offensively in the third quarter, going on a 13-5 run to take a 44-36 lead with just over 5:00 to play in the period. Union would respond and cut the Prospector lead to six at 46-40.

That six-point lead would carry into the fourth quarter, with the Pros up 55-49 entering the final period.

Another Blood shot from beyond the arc to start the fourth would increase the Prospector advantage to 58-49. Again Union would rally, scoring five unanswered points to get within four at 58-54 with 6:58 left to play.

With Union now down by just a single point, a Van Cleave field goal would put the Pros back up by three at 65-62, forcing a Bobcat timeout.

A Bobcat three would tie the game at 68. Van Cleave would again hit a field goal to put the Pros back on top before a three-point play saw the Bobcats retake the lead at 68-67 with just over 3:00 left in the game.

Lenz, Blood and Van Cleave would take over for the next two minutes, scoring three points each over that span to give the Pros a 76-70 lead with less than 1:00 left to play.

A Union three would cut the Prospector lead in half with 33.5 second left and set the stage for a potentially dramatic game finish. In front of their rabid home crowd, the Pros were having none of it.

Ryland Beil and Baryn Huerta would each hit a pair of free throws in the final :30 to give the Pros an 81-75 lead with :08.1 left and put the game out of reach for the Bobcats. Union would get one more field goal in the final eight seconds, but it wasn’t enough as the Pros emerged with an 81-77 win to hand Union their first loss of the season.

Huerta and Blood each drained four shots from three-point range, both finishing with 16 points to go along with Van Cleave’s 26-point contribution. Lenz also had a strong game for the Prospectors, finishing with 12 points in the contest.

The Pros were especially effective in the paint, attempting 19 free throws in the game.

Prospector coach RC Huerta said the team was aware of Union’s No. 1 ranking but added that it was not a factor in how the team prepared for or played the Bobcats.

“Every single game we play, we prepare like a championship game,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who the opponent is. That way, when we come across guys who are one in the state, two in the state, whatever they are, we’re never worried about it.”

The Pros trailed early in the contest, but Huerta said the team’s mantra — the Bantu word “ubuntu” — settled them down and carried them through those early struggles.

“Ubuntu is something that we’ve been living on,” he said. “It is ‘I am because you are.’ It’s a word that we’ve been going with and it just means family atmosphere, never being worried about when we’re down, we play with pride and passion all the time.”

The Pros are streaking, having won their past four games. They will look for their fifth straight win while also hoping to avenge their last loss when they visit Burns on Wednesday, Jan. 3. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.