Bragging rights were on the line Monday night as the Lakewood Leopards hosted rival Union Spartans for a three-game slate that saw Union claim victories in the JV and varsity boys games, while Lakewood’s varsity girls protected home court in emphatic fashion.
JV
Union set the tone early in the opener, using defensive pressure and transition scoring to pull away for a 56-35 win.
The first few minutes were competitive, with both teams exchanging baskets before makes from Jaleel Duncan and CJ Williams pushed the Spartans ahead 8-4. Turnovers quickly became costly for Lakewood, as Union capitalized on fast-break opportunities to stretch the margin to 14-5 by the end of the opening quarter.
Union struck again to begin the second, while Jaimir Rich registered Lakewood’s first point of the period at the free-throw line. Duncan anchored the defense during a key stretch midway through the quarter, piling up blocks that fueled another Spartan run. Williams, Kemori McNeil, and Malik Dominguez converted on the other end, building a 28-14 advantage near the two-minute mark before Union went to halftime leading 32-14.
Williams opened the second half with back-to-back buckets before Chance Sessoms knocked down a corner three to get Lakewood on the board. Rich continued to battle inside, but Union maintained control, carrying a 40-21 lead into the fourth.
Sessoms again connected from the corner to open the final quarter, while Lakewood continued to scrap. Rich and Oates found scoring chances, but Union’s balance held firm as McNeil finished at the rim and Williams continued to facilitate for teammates. Rich stole an inbound pass and converted a fast-break layup late, but McNeil answered immediately to make it 52-32 with under two minutes remaining. With the outcome decided, both teams emptied the bench, and Union closed out the 56-35 road win.
Lakewood JV coach Marcus Graham acknowledged Union’s ability to speed the game up, noting that quick shots turned into opportunities the other way.
“We rushed our offense a little bit,” Graham explained. “There were plenty of possessions where we passed the ball and took a quick shot, and that led to fast-break points on their end. If five boys settle down, get a couple more passes, and get the defense moving, we’ll be better offensively.”
Graham added that back-to-back games could pay dividends down the line.
“I think it’ll help tremendously,” he added. “Playing up and down like that is going to prepare them to be more mentally tough.”
Union JV coach Bryant Register praised his team’s consistency and composure.
“I’m proud of our guys,” Register remarked. “We knew we’d be in for a challenge. Coach Graham has a very good team. Little by little, game by game, the guys are continuing to get better. This puts us at 3-0 in conference play, and I’m excited for them.”
Register also pointed to the rivalry aspect as a motivating factor.
“Any time you play a county team, you’ve got to bring your A-game,” he continued. “To come on the road and get a win, that says a lot. Road wins are tough to come by.”
Girls
Lakewood’s dominant performance of the night saw the varsity girls’ team pulling away for a 64-35 victory behind strong defense and a powerful presence inside.
Defense controlled the opening minutes as Areona McKoy and Trinity Bell helped Lakewood jump out to a 6-0 lead. Bell’s rim protection limited Union’s looks, blocking multiple attempts as Centavia McKoy didn’t get Union on the board until the 3:14 mark of the first quarter.
Union briefly surged ahead late in the quarter behind baskets from McKoy and Evelin Alvarez, taking a 13-10 edge into the second. Lakewood answered immediately, though, and Jasmine Crumpler’s jumper tied the game. From there, McKoy went on a scoring tear, finishing the half with 22 points as the Lady Leopards took control and led 31-24 at the break.
The second half belonged to Lakewood. Jahmai Rich scored the opening basket from an assist by McKoy, while Bell, Rich, and McKoy combined to push the lead to 37-28. Rich continued to establish position inside and even stepped out to hit a corner three, helping Lakewood stretch the advantage to 52-29 by the end of the third. The final period was academic as the Leopards continued to pile on behind steady defense and efficient scoring.
McKoy finished with a monster stat line — 30 points on 12-of-21 shooting, 15 rebounds, four assists, and five steals — while Rich posted a double-double with 13 points and 23 rebounds.
Union assistant coach Harriet Bowen pointed to conditioning as a key takeaway.
“We had energy at the beginning,” Bowen noted, “but conditioning is what we’ve got to focus on. This is a young team, our first season together, and we’re just trying to improve and get better every game.”
Union head coach Bobby Lamb emphasized the weight of county rivalries.
“For 50 or 60 years, it’s always been a rivalry,” Lamb reflected. “When you step on that floor, you’ve got to be ready to play — no excuses.”
Lakewood girls coach Lofton Kerr credited Rich’s confidence for igniting the second-half run.
“She fueled that run,” Kerr explained. “She’s a presence inside and out. I give her the green light to shoot that corner three — she can knock it down. But more than anything, it’s about calming down and just playing the game. You can’t play basketball angry.”
Varsity boys
The night concluded with a rivalry classic, as Union outlasted Lakewood 62-59 in overtime.
Union controlled much of the first half behind balanced scoring from Kenny Ray Bailey, Tobias Cromartie, Josiah Swinson, and Manny Adams, taking a 27–16 lead into halftime. Lakewood began chipping away after the break with corner threes from Juan Parker and Burroughs Strickland, trimming the deficit to just two points before Union responded.
Despite Lakewood’s push, Union entered the fourth leading 41-31. The Leopards refused to go quietly. Travon Carr sparked a late rally with an and-one and followed it with a steal and acrobatic layup to cut the margin to one. Cromartie knocked down two free throws with 22 seconds left, but Strickland’s putback at the buzzer sent the game to overtime, tied at 53.
In the extra period, Adams and Cromartie delivered timely baskets, and Union converted from the line to secure the hard-fought win.
Lakewood head coach Brandon Powell commended the energy and effort of both teams, but pointed to execution.
“Every conference game is extremely important,” Powell emphasized. “Energy isn’t the issue. Sometimes it’s too high, and we’re not running our sets or finding the right opportunities. That’s something we’ve got to clean up.”
He continued, “Hats go off to the Union program. There’s been a lot of growth there over the last four years. I’m really proud of the job they’re doing.”
Union head coach Randy Jordan praised the team’s resilience.
“It’s huge for our confidence,” Jordan stated. “On the road, a conference game, a county opponent — that’s a big win. We didn’t execute perfectly down the stretch, but we found a way to win, and that’s what matters.”
Jordan added that balance is the identity his team is chasing.
“We don’t have to have one or two guys averaging 25,” he explained. “We want four or five guys who can score. Who are you going to guard?”
Though Jordan was content with the win, he made it clear; complacency is not part of the plan.
“We’re going to keep striving to get better every day,” Jordan added. “Even if it’s just one percent, we’re going to keep improving.”
Jordan also echoed a sentiment Powell shared earlier about the conference race.
“Our job is to play hard every night,” he concluded. “We think the conference is wide open, and anybody can win it. We’ve got to do our job to put ourselves in that position.”