Union County is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Washburn is on a four-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Union County Patriots will finish 2023 at home by hosting the Washburn Pirates at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
Last Tuesday, Union County might have been a little too into the holiday spirit, gifting Morristown-Hamblen East an easy 69-44 win. While losing is never fun, Union County can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Tennessee basketball rankings (they are ranked 169th, while Morristown-Hamblen East is ranked 46th).
Meanwhile, Washburn was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Friday as they fell 47-41 to Baldwinsville.
Despite their defeat, Washburn saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Ebany Hill, who scored 14 points along with five rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Saylor Clay was another key contributor, scoring 18 points.
Union County has been struggling recently, as they've lost three of their last four matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-4 record this season. As for Washburn, their loss dropped their record down to 7-4.
Union County didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Washburn in their previous meeting back in December of 2022, but they still walked away with a 44-40 win. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Washburn's Braelyn Coffey, who scored 20 points along with five rebounds. Now that she won't be playing on Friday, will it be that much easier for Union County to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
