Union's KJ Klebaum dribbles past a Crane defender in a quarterfinal game in the 1A state basketball playoff Feb. 28, 2024, at Baker High School. Crane won 61-44.

BAKER CITY — A slow start in the first quarter and foul problems proved to be the demise of Union on Wednesday, Feb. 28, in Baker City.

The Bobcats placed themselves in a hole early, falling behind 26-8 in the first quarter on the way to a 61-44 loss to top-seeded Crane in quarterfinals of the OSAA Class 1A state tournament.

The start of the second quarter saw Union’s top scorer, Tee Ledbetter, head to the bench with three fouls. Even with Ledbetter sitting, Union made a small run before halftime but still trailed by 20 points, 39-19.

The Bobcats closed the gap some coming out of the locker room at the half, putting up 16 points, while holding Crane to just 10 points. However, Union could not sustain the momentum. Crane now moves on to the semifinals versus a team yet to be determined while Union moves to the consolation side of the bracket.

Union saw 14 points and 12 rebounds from Ledbetter as the senior Bobcat fouled out with just over one minute remaining in the game. Trae Frank added 13 points and KJ Klebaum ended the game with nine points.

For Crane, Cody Siegner led all scorers with 24 points while Carter Nichols added 12 points.

For the game, Union shot 18-for-58 from the field and ended 3-for-5 from the free-throw line. The long-range shooting was off for the Bobcats for the day as Union was 5-for-26 from the 3-point line.

Crane was 24-for-55 from the field but 8-for-12 from the free throw line. The Mustangs also had problem shooting threes, ending the game 5-for-22.