By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Amari Bonds put on a first-quarter clinic.
The Union City boys put forth an effort to be proud of.
The end result was a doubleheader split for the Tornado teams against visiting Haywood Tuesday night – the UC girls running away early for a 52-23 triumph, and the Twister boys battling a talented Tomcat squad to the very end before falling 52-40.
The decisions continued recent trends for the Purple and Gold squads, the girls winning for the fourth time in their last six games and improving to 10-5, while the boys have now dropped seven straight and are 5-10.
Union City plays at West Carroll Thursday night.
GIRLS
UC 52, Haywood 23
Bonds, having proven to be one of West Tennessee’s top offensive performers through the first half of the season, indeed put on a show right out of the gate.
She sank the first of her seven 3-pointers 20 seconds into the contest, then canned two more treys before the game was a minute-and-a-half old. Bonds converted an old-fashioned 3-point play, bottomed a deuce and another triple, then hit her fifth 3-pointer and another 2-pointer to cap an unbelievable 22-point flurry in 4:35 before the Tomcats ever scored.
The jaw-dropping output was a school record for most consecutive points scored.
The remainder of the contest was a mere formality as Haywood (1-10) never challenged.
A bucket by Aujani Moss and a 3-pointer by Kennedi Robinson just before the first-half buzzer made it 38-5 at the intermission.
Reserves played most of the second-half minutes for UC with the mercy rule continuous clock in effect.
A hoop in the final seconds by freshman Reagan Everage accounted for the Lady Tornadoes’ last points and provided the widest smiles for happy Union City fans and players.
Bonds finished with 34 points.
BOYS
Haywood 52, UC 40
Though the Tornadoes’ losing skid was extended, it wasn’t from a lack of quality effort and the contest was much closer than the final score.
UC led a good portion of the first half, thanks to its defensive intensity, better effort inside and overall aggressiveness.
There were five lead changes in the second quarter, and the game was tied at 19-all at the break.
The Twisters’ largest lead of the opening 16 minutes came when Jackson Chism scored in the post to put his team up 7-0. Consecutive buckets by D.J. Robinson early in the second frame gave the home team a 15-10 advantage.
A 3-pointer by Skylar Mayes had Union City up 25-21 halfway through the third stanza before Haywood finished the period on a 12-2 run to take the lead for good.
The difference grew to double digits early in the fourth quarter before the Tornadoes made one final push.
Ben Kail’s driving hoop, a 3-pointer by Malaki Brooks, and a bucket by Chism shaved the gap to 42-38 with 2:45 to go. Another Chism deuce had UC within two possessions at the 2:14 mark, and the Twisters had a chance to get closer but could not convert on a key possession.
Haywood then scored the final eight points to account for the eventual margin.
Robinson finished with a team-best 12 points, Brooks added 10, and Chism pitched in nine to top the Tornado scorebook.