By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
It was the perfect Homecoming script for Union City.
The Tornado teams celebrated the crowning of senior guard Kennedi Robinson as 2025 Basketball Queen with a pair of double-digit wins over Greenfield Friday night at Marty Sisco Gymnasium.
Down by nine points midway through the second quarter, UC’s girls rode an impressive 34-7 run to a 49-32 triumph over the eighth-ranked Lady ‘Jackets in Game 1. The league-leading Tornado boys, meanwhile, won their fifth straight and crept to within a game of .500 with a 69-42 victory.
Senior Princesses and teammates Debrionna Jones and Jayla Turner were part of Robinson’s court. Rounding out the royalty were Freshman Princess Ainsley Sadler, Sophomore Princess Sh’Nyla Moss, and Junior Princess La’Kiyah Gordon.
Moss put on a clinic in helping the Lady Twisters (15-7, 4-1) rally to an impressive win, scoring 19 of her game-best 27 points after halftime when she regularly attacked the basket. Included in her total was an 11-of-12 performance from the foul line – including nine straight down the stretch.
Union City’s boys (10-11, 5-0) gradually wore down Greenfield with their superior depth in the nightcap, outscoring the visitors 53-27 over the final three quarters. Kenny Moss had 13 of his 20 markers in the second half as a dozen Tornado players made the scorebook.
Ben Kail, who was honored before the contest for earlier scoring his 1,000th career point, finished with 16 points.
UC will play on the road twice next week, at South Fulton on Tuesday, and at Dresden on Friday.
GIRLS
UC 49, Greenfield 32
The Lady Tornadoes ran their winning streak to four and moved into sole possession of second place in the 14A standings by surging past Greenfield after a shaky start.
UC trailed 21-12 halfway through the second frame before putting together an impressive final 20 minutes.
Moss was the offensive catalyst with her aggressive approach in getting to the rim and the charity stripe – especially after the intermission. The Twisters were also impressive on the defensive end, allowing only an early third-quarter basket during a 16-2 flurry.
Jones, Blair McKinnis, and Uriah Davis – the latter of whom drew considerable words of praise from head coach Mason Storey for her overall effort – also contributed buckets as Union City went in front by double figures (40-28) with the fourth quarter half over.
The Lady ‘Jackets (16-5, 3-2) never made a serious challenge afterward and finished the second half with just 11 points.
UC made just one 3-pointer in the contest but was a stellar 18-of-20 from the free-throw line.
BOYS
UC 69, Greenfield 42
The surging Union City boys trailed only for a few seconds in the nightcap in reaching the midway point of the district season unbeaten.
A trey and a deuce by DeAngelo Monroe fueled a run of 13 consecutive points early in the second stanza, and the Twisters were essentially in control the rest of the way after taking their initial twin-digit lead (29-17).
It was 34-26 at halftime before UC methodically expanded its lead to 19 (53-34) on a Zak Summers triple. Moss had eight of his career-high total in the first six minutes of the fourth period before taking a seat with the rest of the Tornado starters.
Jamarious Abbott was just a bucket away from joining Moss and Kail in double figures, finishing with eight points. Five different Twisters hit from beyond the 3-point arc, with Abbott and Moss draining two each.
Union City forced 25 Greenfield turnovers that led to 30 points.