By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
There were far more positives than negatives in Union City’s season-opening split at Humboldt on Tuesday night.
The Lady Tornadoes got a double-double from Sh’Nyla Moss to begin the year with a 50-38 victory, while the young UC boys led always-formidable H’boldt into the fourth quarter and put four players in double figures before dropping a 74-67 decision.
UC will now play its first home games on Thursday night against Crockett County before winding up Hall of Champions week with a trip to Lake County on Saturday.
Though Tuesday’s doubleheader was sprinkled with typical Opening Night mistakes, both Twister squads checked the “good effort” box.
A 16-6 flurry in the second period, during which Union City sank a trio of 3-pointers, was the difference in the opener.
And the Tornado boys led by five early in the final period before committing a rash of turnovers that led to 15 unanswered Humboldt points and UC’s ultimate demise in the nightcap.
Thursday’s home opener is scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m. with the girls’ game.
UC 50, Humboldt 38 (G)
Addy Launer sank a pair of triples in the second frame and Blair McKinnis connected from beyond the arc to help the Lady Tornadoes build a 26-14 halftime lead.
Moss, who finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds, tacked on an old-fashioned 3-point play on a slashing drive as Union City had its best all-around stretch while employing a faster pace and limiting some shaky ballhandling.
Moss and Uriah Davis combined for all but two of the Twisters’ 13 third-quarter points as head coach Mason Storey experimented with several combinations throughout the contest. Davis’ trey halfway through the third frame gave UC its largest lead at 35-19.
A 3-pointer by La’Riyah Gordon with three minutes to play all but sealed the victory for the Lady Tornadoes after the host team got as close as 10 points.
Davis finished with eight points, while Launer, Gordon, and Ainsley Sadler contributed six each to the winning cause.
Humboldt 74, UC 67 (B)
A balanced scoring effort and all-around hustle masked Union City’s inexperience for three quarters before the talented Vikings used a flurry of floor mistakes to overtake the Twisters down the stretch.
UC, which led 51-48 entering the fourth quarter after trailing by as many as eight in the second stanza, spread the wealth with Hollister Johnson scoring a team-high 15 points, J.B. Thompson and Ayden Lewis adding a dozen, and Tayshun Gentry chipping in with 10 markers.
Lewis had 10 of his 12 points in the third period – including a trifecta and a traditional 3-point play – as the gritty Tornadoes twice built leads of six points after trailing 32-29 at the intermission.
Turnovers at critical times in the final eight minutes proved to be Union City’s undoing, though. In all, the Twisters were guilty of 27, leading to 24 Humboldt points.
Down by as many as 10 after the Vikings’ flurry, UC did creep to within 70-67 with just over a minute to play on Gentry’s bucket. But despite missing 11 fourth-quarter free throws and 19-of-34 for the game, H’bolt made enough charities to hold off the Tornadoes at the end.
Johnson, Thompson, and Will Kail had five rebounds apiece for Union City.