The Union County Patriots were the 44-40 winner over the Washburn Pirates when they last played one another back in December of 2022, but their luck changed this time around. Union County ended up on the wrong side of a rough 56-34 walloping at the hands of Washburn on Friday. It was the first time this season that Union County let down their fans at home.
Washburn's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Saylor Clay, who scored 21 points along with four steals. That makes it four consecutive games in which Clay has scored at least 25% of Washburn's points. Ebany Hill was another key contributor, scoring 17 points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Union County's defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 5-5. As for Washburn, they pushed their record up to 8-4 with that victory, which was their fifth straight on the road.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Union County will get a bit of extra time to process the loss as their next game is a ways off. They'll take on Hancock County at 6:00 p.m. on January 8, 2024. As for Washburn, they will look to defend their home court on Friday against Cherokee at 5:00 p.m.
