By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City,Tenn.–Thursday will undoubtedly qualify as one of the best days of Malaki Brooks’ young life.
Hours after being announced as one of three Class A Mr. Basketball finalists, Brooks broke the Union City all-time single-game scoring record with 50 in the Tornadoes’ 85-68 victory over Huntingdon at Marty Sisco Gymnasium.
The senior scoring sensation eclipsed the previous program mark of 47 that he’d tied earlier in the season with a driving layup with 39 seconds to play, sending the large Purple and Gold crowd into a frenzy and making his Senior Night one to surely remember.
Brooks then capped his latest magnificent performance with another layup with 14 seconds to go, marking his third game this season with more than 40 points and 11th with more than 30.
He scored 32 of his points in the second half when third-ranked UC (23-5) erased a five-point deficit to run its winning streak to 11 games.
Brooks had a number of ‘wow’ moments, converting several twisting slashes to the bucket as well as 9-of-12 free throws. His five 3-pointers gave him 116 for the season.
The history-making boys’ game followed a 66-35 Union City girls’ loss to sixth-ranked (2A) Huntingdon in the opener.
The Fillies improved to 22-5 and ended the Lady Twisters’ five-game winning streak behind the talents of star attraction Lilly Kee, who poured in a game-high 25 points.
UC will carry a 13-14 record into Monday’s District 14A Tournament quarterfinal game against visiting Lake County. The contest is set to tip off at 6:30 p.m.
UC 85, Huntingdon 68 (B)
The Tornadoes got a nice test in their final regular season game and needed Brooks’ spectacular effort to pull away from the feisty Mustangs at the end.
After falling behind 12-4 in the first five minutes and trailing by nine at the opening quarter horn, Huntingdon gave Union City fits on both ends over the next quarter-and-a-half while taking a 35-33 halftime lead.
The visitors were ahead 43-38 before the Twisters hit their stride. An old-fashioned 3-point play by Ben Kail gave UC a 51-48 advantage with under five minutes to go in the third stanza. The Tornadoes then scored the final eight points of the period to go up 63-55, getting a critical triple from Joseph Lattus, two Kail charities, and two more from Brooks, who scored 17 of his markers in the quarter.
Union City gradually pulled away down the stretch, starting when Lattus hit again from beyond the arc. The suspense for Brooks’ record-setting deed started when he made a driving layup for the first of his nine points in the last 90 seconds. He took a feed from C.J. Davis and converted with 57 ticks left to account for 45 and 46.
Kail finished with 10 points as the Twisters’ only other double-figure scorer.
Brooks, Lattus, Davis, and Jack Tulley were honored in Senior Night recognition.
Huntingdon 66, UC 35 (G)
The Lady Tornadoes ran into a buzzsaw in the Fillies, who won for the 13th time in their last 14 games and completed a season sweep of UC after taking the earlier meeting by 20 points.
The Twister girls made but two first-quarter field goals and five in the first half while struggling against Huntingdon’s size and fullcourt pressure. A run of nine unanswered points in the second quarter by the visitors had Union City behind 25-8.
It was 27-13 at the intermission and 47-27 after three quarters.
Sh’Nyla Moss (16) and Debrionna Jones (10) combined for all but nine of UC’s points in the contest.
Aujani Moss, Ada Rogers, Marlee Theobald, and Bailey Wagoner were recognized in Senior Night ceremonies at halftime of the boys’ game.