UNION CITY, MI (WTVB) – The high school basketball season ended for Branch County teams Friday night, as Union City came up just one point short in their bid for a District Championship.
Brock Ridgeway scored the game-winning basket with under 10 seconds left in regulation, while a deperation 25-foot shot by Jalen Boes fell just short, as Union City dropped a 34-33 decision to Homer in the championship game of the MHSAA Class C District hosted by the Chargers at the McNett Fieldhouse.
The Trojans scored the first 6 points of the game, but Union City came back to tie it up at 8-8 after the first quarter. Stout defense from both teams meant that Homer only took a 12-10 lead into the locker room at the half. The Chargers used an 11-9 third quarter to tie the game up at 21 apiece heading into the final quarter, where Homer came out on top 13-12.
Brock Ridgeway had a game-high 18 points for the Trojans, while Jalen Boes paced the Chargers with 16 second-half points on his way to being named McDonald’s Player of the Game. Union City’s season ends with a 16-6 record. Homer improves to 15-8 and will next face Niles Brandywine Monday night at Gobles in the Class C Regional semifinals. Brandywine defeated Bridgman 89-78 in the finals of the Eau Claire District.
In some other boys basketball district finals from Friday night, Paw Paw, the team that eliminated Coldwater from the tournament on Wednesday, lost to Three Rivers in overtime 68-66 in the finals of the Class B Paw Paw District. It was the second straight overtime victory for the Wildcats, who claimed their first District title in 11 years. And over at the Class B Comstock District, Marshall needed overtime to beat Comstock 75-69. It was the second overtime win in the past three games for the Interstate 8 champion Redhawks.
With the winter sports season now effectively over for Branch County schools, attention now turns to the first day of practice for spring sports, coming up on Monday.
