By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Senior Night was all it could be for Union City.
The Tornado teams honored seven players in their final regular season home games at Marty Sisco Gymnasium and swept Gleason, 45-39 and 58-47, on Tuesday.
More importantly, the UC girls forged a tie with Greenfield for the regular season championship and top seed in the upcoming District 13A Tournament, while the Twister boys capped a perfect 12-game run through the league’s regular season.
The Lady Tornadoes (11-10, 9-2) still have some work to do to force a coin flip for the district’s top spot as they must win at Lake County Thursday in a make-up game to match G’field’s 10-2 mark. Should that happen, Union City and the Lady ‘Jackets would finish in a first-place tie with a coin flip necessary due to the teams’ having lost to both each other and one time vs. Gleason.
Amari Bonds scored 17 of her game-high 26 points in the second half to help the Purple and Gold position itself for Thursday’s critical game in Tuesday’s opener.
The nightcap saw Ben McMillan torch the Bulldogs early and often, hitting four first-half 3-pointers as UC built a 22-point halftime lead and then coasted with reserves playing most of the rest of the way.
The Twisters (17-7, 12-0) had already clinched the regular season district championship and first-round bye into the regional but completed an unblemished run through their 13A schedule with their 10th double-digit win in league play.
Union City is scheduled to play a boys-only game at Covington Thursday in its final regular season game.
UC 45, Gleason 39 (G)
The Twister girls also avenged an earlier loss to Gleason with their victory, which was their fourth in their last five games.
Union City won the hustle battle and was ultra-scrappy on the defensive end while holding the Lady Bulldogs to just 23 points through three periods.
A 15-4 run in the third quarter helped expand UC’s 20-16 halftime lead to its biggest advantage of the night.
Bonds had nine of her team’s points in that frame and Marlee Theobald scored twice and assisted to Kylie McCadney for another Tornado bucket to highlight the flurry.
Gleason (17-7, 9-3) made some noise down the stretch, though, cutting the deficit to two points with 1:22 to play before Bonds scored in transition and then made a pair of free throws with 21.7 seconds left to seal the win.
Seniors McCadney and Jada Williams were honored at halftime of the boys’ game.
UC 58, Gleason 47 (B)
The final count was somewhat deceiving as the Tornadoes took control with a 27-10 second-quarter blitz and then essentially shifted into cruise control mode with multiple substitutions in the third and fourth quarters.
McMillan dialed up long distance several times, including a 35-footer at the first quarter horn and a 28-foot triple early in the second, and then connected from 24 feet away at the first half horn to make it 40-18 at the intermission.
Gleason (10-14, 2-10) closed the difference to as few as nine with under two minutes to go behind the play of hard-working Elijah Young, who flexed his muscles to the tune of 24 points – most in the second half.
A pair of deep 3-pointers by freshman Malaki Brooks represented Union City’s seventh and eighth of the contest and took the air out of the Bulldogs’ sails down the stretch.
Brooks and Taylon Tribble each finished with eight markers to follow McMillan on the Tornado score sheet.
McMillan, Tribble, Carter Walton, Neil Brown and Ben Martinek made up an all-senior starting five for the Twisters and were honored at halftime of the girls’ game.
