Photo Provided
Union Local’s Beth Large, left, shoots over Bellaire’s Dani Wilkes, center, while UL’s Lori Gatten looks on during a classic contest in 1990.
The 1990 Bellaire girls’ basketball team had one more game to complete a perfect 20-0 season and claim an OVAC title in its own gym.
The post-game festivities were planned with food and former players on hand to witness what could be a monumental occasion.
However, before the celebration could begin, the Big Reds had to handle their business on the court against a rival Union Local squad with a well-respected 15-3 record.
Bellaire had beaten the Jets by 20 earlier in the year in Morristown but on this night the outcome was much different.
In front of a packed house in Bellaire, Union Local pulled off an incredible upset to stun the previously unbeaten Big Reds 71-66 in late January.
“They even had it on the news before the game,” UL coach Steve Laposki said. “They had a celebration planned and I don’t blame them. They brought back women who played ball and had food there. They were interviewing the ladies on TV before the game. I hadn’t realized that Bellaire had never gone undefeated in any sport before. They beat us by 20 at our place earlier in the year but we still thought we could win that game.
“I have to give Coach Bonar and their program credit. Even after taking a tough loss, they still gave us food and drinks following the game.”
When the clock hit :00, Laposki was drenched by his team with water in celebration of the program’s first OVAC title.
“My players doused me with water afterward,” Laposki said. “I was so happy that we beat Bellaire — Coach Gregg Bonar was a great coach. I had forgotten that it was our first basketball championship at UL in a major sport. I am pretty proud of that.”
Bonar recalled the atmosphere of that night and simply wished it would have been a better outcome for his squad.
“This game was in an era where girls’ basketball was really well-attended,” he said. “It was a hot commodity. The gym was packed that night. I wish the outcome would have been different, but it was a great game with great players.”
Union Local made a statement early as it couldn’t miss from the floor to take a double-digit lead of 28-16 into the second quarter and led 46-31 at halftime.
“We were fortunate that we came out shooting the way we did,” Laposki said. “We shot 62.5% in the first half. That’s what got us out to where we were but obviously, we couldn’t keep that up the entire game. We knew they would make a run.”
Laposki was correct.
Bellaire cut the deficit to 55-46 after three frames and got to within five points late in the fourth.
Tracy Balsei made several key baskets for the Big Reds, which helped spark the rally.
“We were really worried about her coming in,” Laposki said. “She was a really good 3-point shooter. We lost her a few times on defense and she helped bring them back.”
Balsei finished with 11 points but in the end, Bellaire just couldn’t quite bridge the gap.
“We changed some defenses around but senior Missy Foraker, who was all-state, got in foul trouble and fouled out half way through the fourth,” Laposki said. “Bellaire really pressured you and disrupted everything we did but Amy Thompson, a junior, handled the ball and Terra Jeffers, who played some JV, came off the bench and did a great job of handling the ball.”
Then, with the game on the line, Jodi Dombroski calmly stepped to the free-throw line and drained four of four charity tosses to seal the thrilling upset triumph.
Despite being outsized, Union Local also outrebounded the Big Reds 47-33.
“Bellaire was big,” Laposki said. “Deni Wilkes was great for them underneath and they killed us on the boards the first time we played them but that night they did not get too many second shots. It wasn’t until the end when we hit a few foul shots that I knew we had the game won. Bellaire was too good and we knew they would come back. It was never comfortable but everybody stepped up for us.”
Thompson paced the Jets with a double-double of 23 points and 11 rebounds. She also added six assists, three steals and a pair of clutch 3-pointers.
“That was a big game for us,” Thompson said. “Bellaire was state-ranked and going for an unbeaten season. It was a total upset. Missy Foraker was our big gun that year but when she fouled out it definitely got nerve-racking.
“Winning that first OVAC title in school history was one of the best feelings in the world.”
Foraker still did damage before fouling out as she garnered a double-double of 17 points and 10 boards, along with three steals.
Lori Gatten accounted for a double-double, as well, of 14 rebounds and 10 points, while Dombroski netted 14 points and Beth Large finished with 15 rebounds.
Bellaire all-state guard Debbie Blazek scored a team-high 22 points but was limited to just five points in the first half.
Missy Tiber recorded 15 points for the Big Reds, while teammates Wilkes and Balsei each added 11.
“This memory definitely gets sweeter the older you get,” Thompson said. “I remember the feeling of celebrating with my teammates because it was not expected on that court, on that night. It was a great game and really, people go their whole lives wanting to be a part of something like that.”
