Girls - M7 District Tournament - 1st Round - Union 50 Gate City 21 - FINAL
- Thread starter pizzzzza
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Shocked me. Union had lost twice to GC and I don't think it was even close. Bears are super talented but wildly inconsistent. Have a win over a great Central team but lost some games the girls should've pulled out.
That's exactly the kind of team that can get hot and beat anyone....watch out for this team in regionals.
Yep, with the Gate City loss and Abingdon win in the tournament, one region tournament game is already set. Gate City (M7 #4) will travel to Virginia High (SWD #1) in the first round of the Region 2D tournament next Tuesday.
Also, apparently Gate City lost a key player for the year before the Ridgeview game last week, so that is why they seem to be struggling at the moment. I still think they beat Virginia High in the region and it will be 4 M7 teams in the region semifinals.
Also, apparently Gate City lost a key player for the year before the Ridgeview game last week, so that is why they seem to be struggling at the moment. I still think they beat Virginia High in the region and it will be 4 M7 teams in the region semifinals.
Union girls dominate Gate City, 50-21, in Mountain 7 tourney
GATE CITY, Va. – Getting after it on the defensive end.
Driving to the hoop aggressively.
Crashing the boards.
Every player on the team making contributions.
Union coach Kory Bostic couldn’t help but smile after all those things transpired Monday night during his team’s 50-21 victory over Gate City in the first round of the Mountain 7 District girls basketball tournament.
The fifth-seeded Bears (14-9) sprinted out to a 9-0 lead, held a 15-point halftime advantage and continued their dominance in the second half.
Union’s defense was in lockdown mode, contesting nearly every shot Gate City took.
Eight. Three. Five. Five.
That was Gate City’s score by quarters and the Blue Devils hit just five shots from the field the entire game.
“It was a great defensive effort,” Bostic said. “We worked hard the last couple of days in practice to put together a little plan for them. They’ve got a lot of good guards and some girls who can shoot the ball. I think we did a good job of getting out on their shooters and we rebounded the ball well. Just an awesome defensive effort from our team.”
Having lost to Gate City (9-14) in the regular season by scores of 48-40 and 39-35, Union got revenge in the form of a 29-point beatdown.
“I feel like we were tired of losing to them,” said Union sophomore Emili Brooks. “We played together as a team tonight. Probably more together than we have the whole season.”
One of the top volleyball players in Southwest Virginia, Brooks is pretty darn good at basketball too.
A block on a shot attempt by Gate City’s Tori Powers in the second quarter resembled one of her powerful volleyball spikes as she emphatically swatted the ball away.
Brooks finished with 11 points and blocked three shots on Monday.
“Emili is a tremendous athlete,” Bostic said. “We’ve got to try to keep her on the floor as much as we can. She can block shots, she’s tremendous in our press, she’s a great rebounder and she can shoot the basketball. Just a tremendous all-around athlete.”
Ashley Chester (15 points) and Jayda Smith (10 points) also scored in double digits for the Bears.
“We were really patient offensively,” Bostic said. “We were able to get to the basket a little more than we had earlier in the season against them and spaced the floor a little better. We were able to get to the basket and the free throw line.”
Gate City’s offense has struggled since freshman Sarah Thompson went down with an injury a few weeks ago. The Blue Devils couldn’t get anything going against Union’s defensive look.
“They’re really long and athletic,” said Gate City coach Kelly Smith Houseright. “They’re a really good team and we were fortunate the two times we beat them this year.”
There weren’t too many positives to come out of Monday’s game for the Blue Devils.
“We just came out flat, with no energy and it never changed throughout the course of the game,” Houseright said.
The Blue Devils will still qualify for the VHSL Region 2D tournament.
“The one thing that should motivate them is that they get another opportunity,” Houseright said. “This could have very well been their last game, and there aren’t very many people who get a second opportunity. If it were me and I played that horribly and I got another opportunity, I’d be doing everything I could to get refocused and make the most of the opportunity I have in front of me.”
Meanwhile, Union faces Mountain 7 District regular-season champion Wise County Central in a semifinal game Wednesday. Union handed Central (21-1) its only loss of the season.
More performances like Monday’s could mean big things in the postseason for the Bears.
“That’s what you want going into the playoffs – you want to start peaking and playing good basketball,” Bostic said. “Hopefully, this is a good sign.”
GATE CITY, Va. – Getting after it on the defensive end.
Driving to the hoop aggressively.
Crashing the boards.
Every player on the team making contributions.
Union coach Kory Bostic couldn’t help but smile after all those things transpired Monday night during his team’s 50-21 victory over Gate City in the first round of the Mountain 7 District girls basketball tournament.
The fifth-seeded Bears (14-9) sprinted out to a 9-0 lead, held a 15-point halftime advantage and continued their dominance in the second half.
Union’s defense was in lockdown mode, contesting nearly every shot Gate City took.
Eight. Three. Five. Five.
That was Gate City’s score by quarters and the Blue Devils hit just five shots from the field the entire game.
“It was a great defensive effort,” Bostic said. “We worked hard the last couple of days in practice to put together a little plan for them. They’ve got a lot of good guards and some girls who can shoot the ball. I think we did a good job of getting out on their shooters and we rebounded the ball well. Just an awesome defensive effort from our team.”
Having lost to Gate City (9-14) in the regular season by scores of 48-40 and 39-35, Union got revenge in the form of a 29-point beatdown.
“I feel like we were tired of losing to them,” said Union sophomore Emili Brooks. “We played together as a team tonight. Probably more together than we have the whole season.”
One of the top volleyball players in Southwest Virginia, Brooks is pretty darn good at basketball too.
A block on a shot attempt by Gate City’s Tori Powers in the second quarter resembled one of her powerful volleyball spikes as she emphatically swatted the ball away.
Brooks finished with 11 points and blocked three shots on Monday.
“Emili is a tremendous athlete,” Bostic said. “We’ve got to try to keep her on the floor as much as we can. She can block shots, she’s tremendous in our press, she’s a great rebounder and she can shoot the basketball. Just a tremendous all-around athlete.”
Ashley Chester (15 points) and Jayda Smith (10 points) also scored in double digits for the Bears.
“We were really patient offensively,” Bostic said. “We were able to get to the basket a little more than we had earlier in the season against them and spaced the floor a little better. We were able to get to the basket and the free throw line.”
Gate City’s offense has struggled since freshman Sarah Thompson went down with an injury a few weeks ago. The Blue Devils couldn’t get anything going against Union’s defensive look.
“They’re really long and athletic,” said Gate City coach Kelly Smith Houseright. “They’re a really good team and we were fortunate the two times we beat them this year.”
There weren’t too many positives to come out of Monday’s game for the Blue Devils.
“We just came out flat, with no energy and it never changed throughout the course of the game,” Houseright said.
The Blue Devils will still qualify for the VHSL Region 2D tournament.
“The one thing that should motivate them is that they get another opportunity,” Houseright said. “This could have very well been their last game, and there aren’t very many people who get a second opportunity. If it were me and I played that horribly and I got another opportunity, I’d be doing everything I could to get refocused and make the most of the opportunity I have in front of me.”
Meanwhile, Union faces Mountain 7 District regular-season champion Wise County Central in a semifinal game Wednesday. Union handed Central (21-1) its only loss of the season.
More performances like Monday’s could mean big things in the postseason for the Bears.
“That’s what you want going into the playoffs – you want to start peaking and playing good basketball,” Bostic said. “Hopefully, this is a good sign.”
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