By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Mirroring many of their previous victories, Union City’s two squads used familiar formulas to extend their winning ways Friday against Gleason.
The UC girls once more got timely late free throws to ease past the Lady Bulldogs 44-32, while the third-ranked Twister boys overwhelmed Gleason with its pressure defense and 3-point shooting in an 80-42 runaway triumph.
Union City (12-13, 5-4) won its fourth straight in the opener as Marlee Theobald sank 9-of-10 foul shots in the last four minutes to help the Lady Tornadoes move past the .500 mark in District 14A play for the first time this season.
The Twister girls have come up clutch at the charity stripe in each of their recent wins, clinching victories against Gleason twice, Dresden, and Lake County with free throw shooting accuracy down the stretch.
The UC boys, meanwhile, continued to outclass the remainder of 14A with another mercy-rule triumph as they made 15 3-pointers and forced 25 turnovers with their harassing end-to-end pressure.
Joseph Lattus hit five of those treys and led a quartet of Purple and Gold players in double figures with 17 points.
It marked the ninth victory in a row for the Tornadoes – who’ve won their nine district games by an average of more than 30 points – and bettered their overall mark to 21-5.
Union City closes its regular season with a pair of home games next week – Tuesday against Greenfield and Thursday at home, when Senior Night will be observed.
UC 44, Gleason 32 (G)
Neither team led by more five points until the Lady Tornadoes pulled away in the final 2:16 and beat Gleason for the second time in seven days.
Theobald was money when it mattered, hitting six in a row from the stripe at one point. Debrionna Jones had a key blocked shot on the defense end during crunch time, as UC did not allow a single field goal in the final period when it outscored the visitors 15-4.
LaKiyah Gordon and Kennedi Robinson bottomed critical second-quarter 3-pointers for the Twister girls, and Sh’Nyla Moss connected four times from long range over the first three periods for the victors.
Moss finished with a club-best 15 markers, with her sister, Aujani, hitting twice from beyond the arc and registering eight points.
UC 80, Gleason 42 (B)
Lattus had the hot hand early with three of his triples as Union City scored the game’s first 10 points and never looked back.
Ahead 21-11 after one, the Tornadoes gradually padded that cushion with efficient offense and relentless defense. It was 41-20 at the intermission.
UC bottomed a half-dozen trifectas in the third period as Malaki Brooks hit two, and Lattus, Ben Kail, DeAngelo Monroe, and Tayehari Jones joined the party with made 3-pointers.
The Twisters’ deep bench put the finishing touches on another blowout after the starters took a seat late in the third frame. The 38-point final was the largest gap of the night.
Brooks (13), Kail (10), and Monroe (10) joined Lattus in twin digits.