By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Two wins after an opening round loss netted the Union City boys fifth place in the Beech Holiday Tournament.
The Tornadoes beat the Tennessee Heat 71-63 Friday and topped Memphis Business Academy 82-69 on Thursday to improve to 10-4 with a solid sequence of games against quality opponents to wind up their pre-Christmas slate in Hendersonville.
Senior guard Malaki Brooks continued his recent spectacular scoring tear with 109 points over the three-day stretch. He tallied 31 against Central Hardin (Ky.) in the Twisters’ tourney-opening loss, 37 vs. MBA, and then hit for 41 more in the game against TH.
Brooks – who was selected to the All-Tournament team for his exploits – scored in a variety of fashions, hitting 13 3-point buckets, an amazing 30-of-33 free throws, and 20 2-point shots. He bettered his seasonal average to 30.07 points per game after eclipsing 30 for the eighth time this season against the Heat on Friday.
Teammate Ben Kail had a solid tourney for UC, scoring in double figures in all three games while making eight treys. Kail finished with 18 vs. MBA, 14 against TH, and 11 in the Central Hardin contest.
Joseph Lattus had 10 markers against CH and the Tennessee Heat.
The Tornadoes will return to the mid-state area next week to play in the inaugural I Have A Future Classic at Pearl-Cohn High School. Union City will face Knowledge Academy Wednesday morning at 11:30 in its first-round game.
UC 71, Tennessee Heat 63
The Tornadoes scored 10 of the game’s final 12 points in the last three minutes to break a 61-all deadlock and beat the Christian homeschool team from Mt. Juliet.
Brooks, who had 25 of his markers in the second half, converted an old-fashioned 3-point play to put the Purple and Gold up for good, then added a triple and a deuce. Lattus’ two foul shots with seven seconds left sealed the Twister victory.
Union City led by as many as 12 points early in the second half before the Heat rallied to tie the game late in the third period. A Kail trifecta put the Tornadoes back in front at the quarter’s end, and there were four lead changes and three ties in the first five minutes of the final frame.
UC forced 10 first-quarter turnovers and made five 3-pointers during that time to take a 25-16 advantage after the first eight minutes.
UC 82, Mem. Business Academy 69
A 22-15 fourth quarter helped Union City pull away down the stretch against MBA.
Brooks totaled quarter marks of 11, 8, 13, and 5 to end up with 37 points. Kail had eight of his 18 down the stretch, while Lattus sank 5-of-6 free throws in the final stanza.
The Twisters hit 21-of-27 from the line in all.
DeAngelo Monroe had a pair of UC’s seven 3-pointers.
Central Hardin (Ky.) 80, UC 60
The Tornadoes were outscored 40-21 in the second half after trailing by just one point at the intermission in their first-round loss.
The teams matched buckets for much of the first half, but UC could make but seven field goals over the final two frames.
Union City hit half of its ten 3-pointers in a 27-point second quarter.