By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Things appear to be looking up for the Union City boys.
The Golden Tornadoes closed their regular season Thursday night with a third straight win – a first this season – beating Westview 50-45 in Martin.
The victory completed a regular season sweep of the Chargers for UC, which heads into tournament play with a 9-17 mark and as the No. 3 seed in the upcoming District 12-AA Tournament. Union City, already with a regional berth assured, will play the loser of tonight’s game between Gibson County and Milan in the second of two semifinals next Friday (Feb. 17).
Whoever wins tonight’s GC-Milan game will be the district champion and will host the boys’ postseason tourney.
A 25-10 third-quarter explosion after it had managed just four first-half field goals rallied the Purple and Gold against Westview Thursday.
D.J. Robinson and Malaki Brooks combined for 15 of those third-period points, and Ben Kail and Joseph Lattus knocked down critical 3-pointers for the Twisters, who’d trailed by as many as 14 points twice in the second stanza.
Robinson’s old-fashioned 3-point play with 2:57 left broke a 41-all tie and gave UC the lead for good.
The Union City girls could not sustain a strong start and dropped the opener 50-31 to the reigning state champion Lady Chargers, who won their 51st straight game over a span of two seasons.
UC (8-18) scored the game’s first five points and led 8-2 after an Ada Rogers triple before Westview ripped off a run of 16 unanswered points to take control. Martin made eight of its dozen 3-pointers in the first half, with Kylee Alexander sinking four and Miss Basketball finalist Jada Harrison and McCall Sims draining two each.
Adaiysha Snow had 11 of her team-high 16 points for the Lady Tornadoes in the first half – including a trio of trifectas.
The Union City girls will host Milan Monday at 6 in a District 12-AA Tournament play-in game, the winner advancing to play host Westview in the semifinals and earning a berth in the regional tourney.
UC 50, Westview 45 (B)
The Twisters didn’t manage their second made field goal until more than 10 minutes had elapsed and were down 23-11 at the half.
Lattus jump-started UC with a 3-pointer to begin the third quarter, though, and began a run that saw the Tornadoes take their first lead (32-31) when Brooks converted a 3-point play with 1:06 left in the period. Robinson sank two foul shots to cap a run of 10 straight points after a Jack Tully blocked shot, and Union City led 36-33 after three.
After Robinson gave the Twisters the lead for good with just under three minutes left, Lattus hit another critical 3-pointer to make it 47-42 with 1:56 showing. UC then survived a shaky foul line performance for a second straight game to hold on, with Brooks, Kail and Jaylen Lewis each canning 1-of-2 charities.
Robinson had 13 points, Brooks added 11, and both Kail and Lattus chipped in with nine apiece in a balanced scoring attack for the victors.
Westview 50, UC 31 (G)
The Lady Chargers’ telling first-half run was easily the difference and capped Martin’s 25-0 unbeaten regular season.
Union City hung with the host team for most of the first period and held its last lead at 11-8 when Snow connected from outside the arc halfway through the quarter.
The Tornado girls then went more than eight minutes without a point, however, while Westview caught fire from long range. Another Snow triple – 4:44 before the intermission – finally broke the ice before the Chargers carried a 30-17 advantage into the locker room.
Despite getting several good looks at the basket, UC could never make a serious run over the final 16 minutes when it made only five field goals.
Snow was the top name in the Lady Twister scorebook with 16 points, with Amari Bonds scoring in double figures for the 42nd straight game with a dozen markers.