By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–An eight-day winter weather break was seemingly just what Union City needed.
The Tornado teams came home from Memphis Saturday with a pair of much-needed victories – the Lady Tornadoes rolling to a 65-44 triumph over St. Benedict before the boys held on for a thrilling 49-48 triumph in the nightcap.
Three players scored in double figures, and a fourth was just a single point away from that status for the UC girls (8-16), who have now put together back-to-back wins for the second time this season after recording a season sweep of the Lady Eagles.
Amari Bonds led a balanced attack for the Twister girls with 22 points, while Marlee Theobald had 11 and Debrionna Jones pitched in 10. Adaiysha Snow finished with nine markers.
D.J. Robinson’s blocked shot just before the final buzzer preserved the Union City boys’ exciting triumph.
The Tornadoes (7-17) got the game-winning bucket on a Finn Frankum layup with 20 seconds remaining, then denied SB on two possessions to avenge an earlier seven-point loss to the Memphians.
Joseph Lattus put on a shooting clinic in the third quarter, draining five 3-pointers and scoring 17 of his team-high 24 points to lead the Purple and Gold back from a halftime deficit to a seven-point lead late in the third frame.
There were four lead changes in the final 90 seconds.
Union City will celebrate Senior Night in its final regular season home game Tuesday against Gibson County before then closing its pre-tournament schedule at Westview in a Thursday make-up game.
UC 65, SB 44 (G)
The Lady Tornadoes were in control from start to finish after Bonds sank back-to-back triples, and St. Benedict failed to make a field goal for the first 6 ½ minutes.
Theobald’s trey built the difference to double digits (16-5) before the first quarter was done.
Up 28-18 at the halftime break, UC built on that advantage when Jones scored five quick points to open the third period.
Snow’s 3-point with 5:40 remaining padded the Twisters’ cushion to 54-34, and the first of two Jamari Cox’s buckets represented the largest lead of the night (25 points) in the waning minutes.
Union City had won an earlier meeting of the two teams, 53-40.
UC 49, SB 48 (B)
There was plenty of drama down the stretch in Game 2 after Lattus carried the bulk of the offensive load for the Tornadoes in a third quarter in which UC held a 22-12 advantage.
Lattus was lethal from the corner and also perfect from the foul line as the Twisters surged from a five-point deficit to a five-point lead (37-32) entering the final eight minutes.
The Eagles (7-10), who’ve now lost eight straight games after a promising start, did battle back to forge a 43-all deadlock with 3:27 left behind Kylon Jones.
Robinson’s driving hoop put Union City briefly back in front before Jones – who scored a game-high 25 points – nailed a 3-pointer to put the host team in front by a point. Jack Tully took a feed from Robinson and stuck home a layup with 1:10 to play to again give the Tornadoes the lead at 47-46.
A bucket by Jones at the 58-second mark and Frankum’s aforementioned deciding deuce accounted for two more lead changes before Robinson sealed the deal just before the buzzer with his rejection of Jones.
UC made nine 3-pointers in all in the contest, with DeAngelo Monroe accounting for a pair of big hoops in the first half.
Robinson finished with seven points, while Monroe and Lewis were good for six apiece.