| UC boys earn own milestone | By: By KENNETH COKER, Messenger Sports Reporter
| | 
Union City’s Paige Fisher corners Halls’ Christi Meeks during the Lady Twisters’ 62-53 triumph Tuesday night. | | | Whoever claims “you can’t win ’em all,” hasn’t seen the Union City boys play this season.
On Tuesday night, the Twisters kept their perfect record intact with little challenge in a 93-53 drubbing of Halls.
With the latest triumph, the UC boys improve to 20-0 on the season, giving boys’ coach Shane Sisco his fifth consecutive season with at least 20 victories.
Overall, Shane and his father Marty — who now serves as an aide to his son — have combined for 16 seasons of 20-plus wins in 19 combined years as the Tornado skipper.
“I think that accomplishment is very indicative of the immense talent that we’ve been blessed to have over the past five years,” the younger Sisco said. “The kids I’ve had over this period of time have worked extremely hard, not only in games but in practice and put the time in to be great.
“I’d say 20 wins in five years is a pretty good indication of their hard work.”
The Twisters have now won 34 consecutive regular season district outings.
Meanwhile, in the girls’ game, Union City walloped the Lady Tigers 62-23 to break an eight-game losing streak in District 14A.
Ironically, Halls was the last district opponent UC defeated with a 60-36 win on Nov. 30.
Both Union City squads return to action Friday evening with a twinbill at South Fulton. Tipoff for the girls’ game is 6:30.
Union City 93, Halls 53 (B)
The Twisters took the lead for good with just under two minutes remaining in the first quarter. Ahead 21-19 after a MJ Brown 2-pointer, UC finished off a 10-0 run and ultimately took a 30-22 advantage into the huddle.
During the run, Tony Wilkins sank a pair of 3-point baskets and a deuce.
Wilkins was magnificent in the first with 13 of his team-high 20 points coming during the period.
The second quarter was all Union City with the locals bettering the Tigers 33-15 and holding a 63-37 lead at intermission. Scoring in the second canto was balanced with Brown setting the pace with six and Andre Coby, Nik Brooks and Lavan Mosley each adding five markers.
Brooks, Mosley and Coby each contributed a trey during the second. In all, UC drained 13 3-pointers in the victory.
“We did a good job with our halfcourt offense tonight,” Sisco boasted. “A lot of our points are usually scored in transition, but we tried to use the halfcourt to prepare for those times in a game when we can’t run up and down the court.
“I thought we had some good, open looks and we passed the ball better and, as a result, our guys were able to make quite a few 3s.”
Union City finished with a total of six players in twin digits. Wilkins finished with the aforementioned 20 with Brown and Brooks contributing 14 and 12 points, respectively. Ryne Simpson, Pat Polk and Coby each added 10.
Union City 62, Halls 23 (G)
The Lady Twisters needed no more than two quarters to finish Halls off.
Up 12-7 after a frame, UC tripled the Lady Tigers 18-6 in the second to give the locals’ a comfortable 30-13 cushion at halftime.
Union City (6-13, 2-10) finished the first half on a 9-0 run, propelled by a Brittney Mitchell trifecta and a basket apiece from Shenisha Huff, Mary Steward and Kierra Davis.
The Lady Twisters looked to be pitching a shutout in the final frame before Halls was able to muster five points in the final 90 seconds.
Taylor Hargrove highlighted the fourth with a trifecta from the left wing and a bucket.
Sheakyvia Gauldin also swished a 3 in the final frame.
“Our younger kids put forth an exceptional effort tonight,” UC girls’ mentor Jeff Chandler said. “We’re happy to bounce back from our overtime loss Friday and get another district win under our belt.
“I’d like for us to string together two or three, though, so we can be prepared for the some of the challenges we may face come tournament time.”
Mitchell was UC’s top gun with nine points in the triumph with Doreal Strayhorn and Huff both tacking on eight.
Sports reporter Kenneth Coker can be contacted by e-mail at kcoker@ucmessenger.com. | | | | |
