By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Sh’Nyla Moss poured in 32 points to help the Union City girls to a third-place finish in the Lady Trojan Christmas Tournament in Dyersburg with a 68-37 romp over Lake County Saturday.
The Tornado girls improved to 7-9 with their fourth win in five games and went 2-1 in the holiday event that concluded the first half of their 2023-24 season.
Meanwhile, UC’s boys came up just short in the championship game of the inaugural I Have A Future Classic at Pearl-Cohn on Friday, dropping a tough 52-51 decision to Melrose.
The Twisters also went 2-1 in their second holiday tourney of the year and will carry a 12-5 mark into the second half of their campaign.
Union City will begin district play with games at South Fulton on Friday.
UC girls edge closer to .500
A night after dropping a heartbreaking 52-51 decision to Peabody in the tournament semifinals, the Lady Tornadoes bounced back with a lopsided win vs. LC.
Moss had 16 points in each half against the Lady Falcons, highlighted by six 3-pointers.
Debrionna Jones had 15 of her 19 markers over the final two frames, and Marlee Theobald finished with 13 points – including a pair of treys.
UC led 13-7 after one, 32-15 at halftime, and 48-26 with three periods in the books before head coach Mason Storey emptied his bench in the final eight minutes.
The Lady Tornadoes were coming off a hard-to-swallow one-point loss to Peabody on Friday.
Trenton’s Jamyia Carter sank a 3-pointer with six seconds remaining to give her team the victory after Union City had led practically the entire game.
Moss had knocked down a pair of free throws with 35 seconds left to give the Twister girls a two-point lead before Carter’s heroics. UC led by as many as seven in the contest and at the end of every quarter.
Moss tallied a game-high 22 points – 10 of those in the first period. Jones added 13, and Theobald finished with nine.
Tornado boys place 2nd in Nashville
The last of Malaki Brooks’ four 3-pointers got UC within the final margin with two seconds to play before the Twisters ran out of time.
Union City battled back from a double-digit first-half deficit to within 41-40 after three quarters. Melrose (8-4) led 19-13 at the first-quarter horn and 34-26 at the intermission.
DeAngelo Monroe had trio of triples to aid the Tornadoes’ cause. Brooks – the only UC player to attempt free throws in the contest – finished with 28 points on five 3-pointers, three 2-pointers, and 10-of-15 foul shots.
Joseph Lattus also contributed a pair of trifectas as the Twisters made nine in all.