The Hagerstown boys basketball team traveled to Liberty on Friday, Dec. 12, for an important Tri-Eastern Conference game with the Union County Patriots.
The Patriots, fueled by the energy of a large vocal home crowd, battled the Tigers basket for basket in the first quarter. The game was tied at 10-10 before a free throw and a basket from Jayke Troutwine in the final seconds propelled the Tigers to a 13-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.
A three-point basket, then a two-pointer from Nick Watterson to open the second quarter gave the Patriots a 15-13 lead, but it was the last lead they enjoyed in the game. The Tigers increased their intensity.
Graham Vinson scored to tie the game at 15-15. Troutwine and freshman Lincoln Small scored back-to-back to expand the Tiger lead to 21-15. Isaac Schmitz hit a buzzer-beater basket to give the Tigers a 29-23 halftime lead.
The Tigers, running the floor and sharing the ball, broke the game open in the third quarter with Vinson, Troutwine and Jonny Howard leading the charge. The Tigers took a 47-34 lead into the final period. The Patriots had no answer for Troutwine, who poured in 13 fourth-quarter points in a 66-43 win.
Troutwine, a sophomore, finished his night with a career high of 26 points. Howard provided double-figure support with 13 points. Watterson led the Patriots with 19 points. Colton Johnson scored 13 points.
Tiger head coach Tyler Stotler said it is always nice to get a conference road win. “Union County came out inspired in front of a great home crowd and we came out flat,” Stotler said. “We made some adjustments at halftime and the kids responded.”
Hagerstown (3-1, 1-0 TEC) 13 16 18 19 66
Union County (0-0, 0-1 TEC) 10 13 11 9 43
Hagerstown (66)
Vinson 7, Troutwine 26, Schmitz 5, Braydon Sanders 0, Kaden Hall 5, Ben Hokey 2, Howard 13, Small 6, Zerek Jett 2, Nick Hileman 0, Jonah Hale 0, Ronin Dickey 0
Union County (43)
Isaiah Martinez 2, Keegan Lathery 0, Johnson 13, Holden Harvey 4, Cam Salsbery 4, Watterson 19, Aiden Vauthier 0, Landen Strait 1
JV results: Hagerstown 43 (Ronin Dickey 16), Union County 33
A version of this article appeared in the December 17 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.