By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Needing a good effort to keep its season alive, the Union City girls got the job done in three quarters.
The Lady Tornadoes built a 20-point lead on the strength of eight 3-pointers, then survived a shaky fourth period to beat host Scotts Hill 51-42 in Friday’s Region 7-2A quarterfinals.
The win sends UC (16-13) into Monday’s semifinal round, where they’ll face fourth-ranked Westview (22-4) at 6 p.m. on the Lady Chargers’ home floor. A berth in the tourney finals and a spot in the sectionals will be the prize for the victor.
The two teams split a pair of regular-season matchups – each winning on their respective home courts.
Addy Launer drained three trifectas and was one of five Lady Twisters to connect from beyond the arc to help her team to another round of the playoffs Friday.
La’Kiyah Gordon, Alli McMillan, McKinley Dean, and La’Riyah Gordon also found the range from outside for Union City against an SH defense that dared the Tornadoes to shoot from the outside.
“They’d seen film on us and knew we wanted to play downhill, and they waded things up inside,” UC head coach Mason Storey said afterward. “They challenged us to make shots, and we did, in that first half especially. We had several kids step up, and I was really proud of them because shooting is something we’ve emphasized since the postseason began.
“We have several kids who were confident in putting up shots, and it’s nice to see them pick up each other.”
Back-to-back treys by the Gordon girls in the first quarter put the Tornado girls up for good. Dean banked in a long shot, Sadler converted in old-fashioned 3-point play, and Launer made the second of her two 3-pointers in the frame before LaKiyah Gordon knocked down another to make it 27-17 at halftime.
Sh’Nyla Moss, who came alive in the second half with 13 of her team-best 16 markers, sandwiched a 3-point possession and a driving layup around another Launer longball to give UC its largest lead of the contest – 40-20, with less than a minute remaining in the third canto.
With the game seemingly in hand, the Lady Twisters got sloppy down the stretch. They committed eight of their 12 turnovers in that final frame, leading to a run of eight straight Scotts Hill points that reduced the difference to less than 10 points.
Twice, the Lady Lions got as close as six before McMillan converted a critical stickback into a 3-point play and Sadler hit two free throws. SH got no closer than eight thereafter.
“We hit cruise control a little bit and gave them some life,” Storey added. “We’ll take the bad with the good, though, and move on. The name of the game at this time of the year is ‘survive and advance,’ and we did that.
“Getting to the regional semifinals in double-A and against the competition we’ve faced is a big deal. We know Westview extremely well, and they know us extremely well. It’ll come down to taking care of the basketball and rebounding – just like all big games do.
“I’m sure both teams will throw a few new wrinkles at the other. Most of all, we have to execute well on both ends to give ourselves a chance.”