By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Despite a 58-38 loss to eighth-ranked Huntingdon in the District 12-AA girls’ consolation game Saturday, Union City still has hope.
The Lady Tornadoes (9-20) will nonetheless advance on in the postseason – playing at District 11 champion East Hickman (20-8) next Friday night in a Region 6 quarterfinal game.
The two teams met last season in a similar setting, with UC battling to the end before dropping a two-point decision.
A complete regional bracket for this year will be finalized early next week.
UC – still missing Marlee Theobald and Aujani Moss due to concussion protocols – were done in again by season-long ball handling struggles against Huntingdon Saturday. The Lady Tornadoes were guilty of 27 turnovers against the Fillies’ fullcourt pressure, several of those mistakes leading to a run of 16 straight Huntingdon markers in the first half that turned a 16-13 game into a 19-point Union City deficit.
The Twister girls cut what once was a 22-point deficit to 50-37 with just under four minutes to play, but the Fillies (23-6) scored eight of the game’s final nine points to stretch the final count to a comfortable margin.
Amari Bonds scored UC’s first nine points and finished with a team-best 25. Bonds drained a trio of deep 3-pointers to record her 17th game this season of 20 or more points.
Adaiysha Snow, hampered by foul trouble most of the contest, hit back-to-back triples in the second half to give the Lady Tornadoes hope and ended up with eight points.
Union City forced 22 turnovers with varying degrees of defensive pressure.
Bonds was named All-District for the fourth straight year in ceremonies after fifth-ranked Gibson County stunned No. 1 ranked and reigning state champion Westview in the title game 53-43. She was also named to the All-Tournament and All-Academic teams.
Snow and Theobald were named to the All-District squad based on seasonal play.