By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Shane Sisco did not sound like a coach whose team just had its season come to a heartbreaking close.
“I could not be any more proud of this group … not only for the way they gave themselves a chance tonight, but for everything they’ve accomplished this season,” the UC coach said after the Tornadoes took heavily-favored and second-ranked Humboldt to the limit in a 53-50 overtime loss in the Region 7A semifinals Monday night.
Union City, despite its lack of usual widespread athleticism, nonetheless, recorded its eighth straight season of 20 or more wins – finishing 24-9, including the District 13A regular season and postseason tournament championships.
And the Golden Tornadoes almost pulled the shocker of the season Monday night.
Dictating a much-slower pace than H’boldt desired, the Purple and Gold rallied from an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime when Ben McMillan drained a step-back 24-footer to tie the game at 45.
UC had an opportunity to extend the game to a second OT, too, but Kaler Bobo’s tying attempt bounced off the backboard and the front of the rim with two seconds showing.
“All we wanted was a chance. And we had one – first at the end of regulation, then at the end of overtime. We could’ve easily folded, down eight in the fourth quarter, but we stayed with the game plan and the pace that we needed to play at, and Ben (McMillan) just makes a big-time shot in the last seconds to get us into overtime.
“And we had another look to get us to a second overtime. It just wouldn’t fall.”
The disappointing ending in no way took away from the Twisters’ gritty and determined all-out effort against a talented H’boldt squad that improved to 26-3.
McMillan and Tyler Walton – much as they had all season – carried the offensive banner for the Twisters, combining for 39 of their 50 points and all seven of the team’s 3-point shots.
“The two guys who’ve largely carried us all season long showed up and did so again tonight,” Sisco added. “That’s not always been the case in big games for us in the past, but I thought both Tyler and Ben answered the call tonight when the stakes were the highest.”
UC limited Class 1A Mr. Basketball finalist Anthony Jones to just 14 points, but guard R.J. Abernathy, who lit up the Tornadoes for 26 points in a regional tourney romp last season, had a team-high 18 and hit the Vikings’ biggest shot – a 3-pointer in overtime.
The Twisters led by as many as seven points in the first half – 21-14 after McMillan’s trey and his old-fashioned 3-point play sandwiched a triple by Walton and Neil Brown’s bucket inside to account for an 11-2 run.
Humboldt sped up the tempo to its liking in the third stanza, however, outscoring UC 23-12 and taking a 39-33 lead into the final period.
Down by eight with less than five minutes to play, the Tornadoes gamely fought back to force four extra minutes.
Brown powered home an and-one to make it 43-40, then converted again in the paint to make it 45-42 before the Twisters got the ball back via an offensive foul with 28 seconds showing.
Union City milked the clock down before McMillan, despite being heavily guarded, buried a shot from well behind the line with five seconds left to even the count at 45.
The Vikings could not get off a final shot in regulation.
H’boldt made four straight free throws in the extra period after Abernathy’s critical three-ball. Walton had given UC a slim 46-45 edge to begin the OT, then made two charities of his own to even the count at 48.
The contest was the last in a Tornado uniform for Walton, who ended his prep career with 1,037 points, and fellow senior Jaxon Moran – both of whom received high words of praise from Sisco.
“Tyler Walton was the epitome of a leader,” the UC coach insisted. “He did it by example, not verbally. He was first in line for most every drill, he stayed after practice and put up extra shots … he set a great example. What a great young man.
“Jaxon had injury issues all year and it would’ve been easy for him to just give it up. He showed up at every practice though, even when he was hurt, and wanted to be a part of this team. When he finally got healthy, he was part of a group of six or seven kids who worked really hard in practice and made us better. I’m glad he was a part of what we accomplished this year.”
Four starters and seven regulars from this year’s squad will return next season for Union City.
