Union County

East Union used a big game behind the arc to lead them in their opening round win against West Union, 70-59, Thursday night.

Drew Bruce helped the Urchins build an early 16-11 lead, and East Union held the advantage until a second quarter basket by Chase Taylor gave the Eagles their last lead of the game, and the Urchins scored 14 straight to take a 36-30 lead to the break.

The deciding factor in the latest installment of one of the county’s biggest rivalries came down to a single play pinning two of the area’s best players against one another.

With less than a minute remaining and the score tied, Jazmine Spears held the ball close to mid-court, eventually driving in the lane against Aspriona Gilbert, nailing an eight-foot shot to give New Albany the lead and eventually the 49-48 win over Myrtle.

When Heather Duley took over the cross country program at Blue Mountain College, several familiar faces graced her, ones that, not long ago, helped her start the sport at East Union.

One of Myrtle’s best returning starters from last year’s baseball state runner-up had a unique opportunity to improve his game over the Christmas break, traveling to Arizona with Coast-to-Coast Athletics.