By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Every player who suited up for the Union City boys contributed to the Tornadoes’ blowout of Dresden Tuesday night.
All 14 Twisters scored, and UC overwhelmed the Lions with pressure defense, turning more than two dozen turnovers into several points in a 72-38 romp.
Malaki Brooks (19), Joseph Lattus (13), and Ben Kail (10) each scored in double figures for the Tornadoes, who made 10 3-pointers in improving to 14-5 overall and 2-0 in District 14A play.
Union City’s girls came up just short in the opener, dropping a hard-fought 52-49 decision to the Lady Lions.
The Lady Twisters led at the end of the first two periods but saw Dresden open the second half with a run of nine unanswered points to take a lead it would never lose.
UC closed to within two points twice in the fourth quarter, but the Lions hit 9-of-12 free throws down the stretch to hold off repeated Tornado challenges.
Sh’Nyla Moss scored 19 points, and Debrionna Jones pitched in 15 for Union City, which fell to 7-11 and 0-2, respectively.
UC will play at home for the first time in a month on Friday when it hosts Lake County in a 14A twinbill.
UC 72, Dresden 38 (B)
Up 16-8 at the first-quarter horn, the Tornadoes ran off 20 consecutive points over the first six minutes of the second stanza to put away the host team.
Brooks, Lattus, and Zak Summers each connected from outside the arc during the flurry, and Kenny Moss contributed a couple of deuces as UC harassed the Lions into numerous floor mistakes that led to offensive opportunities.
The Twisters had a half-dozen of their triples in the first half.
Brooks connected twice from downtown in the third quarter as Union City expanded its 40-17 intermission advantage to 56-29 before reserves finished the rout in the final frame.
The win was the Tornadoes’ fifth in their last six games.
Dresden dropped to 5-8 overall and 0-2 in league play.
Dresden 52, UC 49 (G)
The Lady Twisters led 24-21 at halftime after a second period that saw nine lead changes.
A pair of Aujani Moss hoops in the final 37 seconds of the first half gave UC its biggest lead.
Allie Spaulding hit three of her four treys in the third quarter, though, to put Dresden in front for good. Spaulding had 17 of her 19 markers in the second half.
Blair McKinnis drained a triple to get the Tornado girls within 38-36 early in the final frame, and Sh’Nyla Moss scored at the midway mark to once more get Union City as close as a bucket, 44-42.
UC made just 4-of-9 from the foul line but visited the charity stripe 13 fewer times than Dresden, which hit 14-of-22 in all.
Dresden improved to 12-4 with its 11th victory in its last 13 games and is now 12-4 overall.