BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Thomas Williams scored eight of his 13 points in the fourth quarter as the Union County High School boys basketball team was able to hold off visiting Baker County for a 57-46 win on Jan. 7.
The Tigers (6-4) got off to a fast start, scoring 12 of the game’s first 15 points. Gavin Jenkins hit a jumper off a Cole Andersen-Davis assist, followed by Johnte’ Nichols scoring off his own steal to put Union up 4-0. Jenkins later scored when he rebounded a missed three-pointer by the Wildcats and drove the length of the court for a dunk, while Williams made a pull-up jumper to make it 8-3. After a basket by Andersen-Davis, Jenkins scored off a Nichols steal for a 12-3 lead.
Union maintained at least a 10-point lead for most of the second quarter, but after Kam Paytee made a three-pointer to make the score 23-12, the Tigers committed turnovers on their final six possessions of the half. Baker failed to capitalize on most of those, but the Wildcats did cut Union’s lead to seven entering halftime.
The Tigers put their struggles behind them as they began the second half with a 12-2 run. After Dee Williams made a free throw, Jenkins scored off his own steal. Andersen-Davis scored following another turnover and then added another basket after Baker’s Jeremiah Mitchell made two free throws, making it a 30-18 game. Thomas Williams knocked down a three-pointer to push the lead to 15, while Dee Williams scored off his own steal to make the score 35-18.
Consecutive baskets by Jenkins helped the Tigers build a 22-point lead, but the Wildcats closed the third quarter with a 12-2 run, making the score 45-33 going into the fourth quarter.
Thomas Williams’ points in the final quarter were crucial as the rest of the team scored only four points. The Tigers also struggled at the foul line in the quarter, making 2 of 10 free-throw attempts, including missing the front ends of two one-and-one opportunities.
Baker scored seven of the first 10 points in the fourth quarter to make it an eight-point game, but the Wildcats missed five of their final seven field-goal attempts as the Tigers were able to hang onto their lead.
Jenkins led Union with 14 points, while Andersen-Davis had 12. The Tigers also got six points from Nichols, five points from Paytee, four points from Dee Williams, two points from Jayce Puni and one point from Preston Bonsall.
The Tigers entered the game off a 58-57 win over visiting Fort White on Jan. 6. Union outscored the Indians 18-4 in the final quarter, which featured 12 points from Jenkins.
Fort White’s Najeeb Smith scored 14 points in the first half as the Indians built a 38-25 lead, but he had only two points in the second half.
Jenkins led all scorers with 22 points, while Deonte Jones and Nichols had 10 and nine, respectively. Union also got six points from Andersen-Davis, five points from Paytee and two points each from Puni, Dee Williams and Thomas Williams.
The Tigers travel to play Branford on Monday, Jan. 9, at 7:30 p.m. and will host Dixie County on Thursday, Jan. 12, at 7:30 p.m. Union travels to play Fort White on Friday, Jan. 13, at 7:30 p.m. and then travels to play Interlachen on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 7:30 p.m.
Union’s junior varsity team, which defeated both Fort White and Baker County, plays prior to the Bradford and Dixie County games at 4:30 p.m. and at 6 p.m. prior to both the Fort White and Interlachen games.
