By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Malaki Brooks put on quite the show for Union City over the weekend.
One night after scoring 32 points to help the Tornadoes beat South Gibson County 62-59, the senior point-making machine matched the UCHS single-game scoring record with 47 in a 78-71 loss at Dyer County on Saturday.
Brooks’ eye-popping combined 79-point output over 24 hours elevated his seasonal average to 28.3 ppg and marked the fifth time in 11 games he’s tallied 30 or more.
His 47-point outburst vs. DC Saturday matched the number scored by Twister assistant coach Antawn Coby during his senior season in 2005.
The Tornadoes now stand at 8-3 after the weekend split, with two of those losses coming vs. Dyer County.
UC’s girls fought gamely both nights but lost to SGC (52-43) and DC (61-48).
Freshman Sh’Nyla Moss erupted for 26 points against the Lady Hornets, then tossed in a team-leading 18 markers the next night vs. unbeaten Dyer County.
The Lady Tornadoes saw their record dip to 3-8 with their fifth straight loss – all those setbacks coming against larger schools.
Union City’s two teams will play in holiday tournaments next week, the girls at Bradford on Monday and Tuesday and the boys at Beech High School in Hendersonville Wednesday through Friday.
Dyer Co. 78, UC 71 (B)
Brooks had 15 points in the first half, then exploded for 14 in the third quarter and 18 of his team’s 24 over the final eight minutes in a spectacular individual performance.
He made six of his nine 3-pointers in the second half, many from way behind the line.
Brooks led a furious rally over the final four minutes that saw the Tornadoes shave a 16-point deficit to 74-71 with just 17 seconds remaining. Finn Frankum had a timely trey to get UC within a single possession, but DC – which went to the foul line a whopping 52 times – made four straight charities to win for the eighth time in as many outings.
The Twisters trailed 31-29 at halftime and 53-47 with three periods in the book before the Choctaws surged to their biggest lead.
Kenny Moss had 10 points to join Brooks in double figures.
UC 62, SGC 59 (B)
Moss scored 12 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter to help the Purple and Gold rally down the stretch and beat South Gibson County for the second time in as many meetings this year.
Moss made four field goals and 4-of-4 free throws in that deciding frame after Union City had trailed 14-10, 32-28, and 43-39 at the quarter breaks.
Brooks did most of his damage on drives and slashes to the hoop as the Tornadoes made but three treys. He also canned 9-of-12 from the charity stripe.
DC 61, UC 48 (G)
Playing shorthanded due to illness and injury, the Lady Tornadoes simply ran out of gas down the stretch after leading by as many as 11 points in the first quarter and 31-25 at the intermission.
Moss and Marlee Theobald combined for 24 of UC’s first-half point total.
But Dyer County, which took its first lead late in the third stanza, outscored the Lady Tornadoes 36-17 in the second half, including a 10-3 burst to begin the fourth quarter.
Theobald finished with 14 points to follow Moss in the scorebook.
SGC 52, UC 43 (G)
Union City was behind just 21-19 at the intermission before South Gibson gradually pulled away over the final two frames.
Moss had 11 of her total in the fourth segment – including a trio of 3-pointers. Debrionna Jones scored six of her eight markers in the last quarter.
Aujani Moss missed both weekend games on the sickness list, while Ada Rogers sat out Friday with a nagging knee injury and saw only limited minutes on Saturday.