Sampson County rivals Midway and Union battled it out on the hardwood on Friday night, finishing off their weeks before the long holiday weekend. There was a stark contrast in the two games, as the Lady Spartans earned a thrilling, buzzer-beating victory over the Lady Raiders, while the Midway boys took control against Union. Final scores were 42-41 and 69-41. There was no JV boys’ game due to circumstances outside of basketball.
Varsity girls
Out of the gate, Zadariyah Faison sank consecutive three-pointers to put the Lady Spartans up 6-0. Shortly thereafter, Peyton Herring made a free throw to make it 6-1, and the score stayed parked there until Herring connected on a jumper from the elbow to make it 6-3 at the 3:49 mark. After their initial spurt, Faison and the rest of the Union team went ice cold, allowing the Lady Raiders to even the score by the end of the quarter. The teams were knotted at 6-6 after one.
Both teams struggled early in the second quarter before free throws by Kyleigh Stonerock gave Midway the lead. The junior sank both, putting the Lady Raiders ahead 8-6 with 5:00 to go in the first half. Moments later, Stonerock fed Ella Clark under the basket for two more, making it 10-6 as Midway enjoyed a 10-0 run.
Faison quickly ended that stretch, knocking down another pair of three-pointers. With an added free throw, the Lady Spartans answered with a 7-2 run to take a 15-12 lead. After the teams exchanged baskets, Union held a 17-14 advantage with under a minute remaining in the half. At the break, the Lady Spartans led 19-16.
Union maintained its edge in the second half as Faison continued to pile up points. Offense picked up for both teams, a stark contrast from the opening period. The Lady Spartans built their lead to as many as eight points in the third quarter, but Midway clawed back within three by the end of the period at 33-30.
The Lady Raiders jumped ahead in the fourth quarter on a basket from McKenna Brooks to take a 36-35 lead. With 5:23 remaining, a Union timeout slowed the momentum as a battle to the finish took shape. Midway later took a one-point lead and clung to it as time ticked away, but Centavia McKoy sank a buzzer-beating jumper to propel the Lady Spartans to the 42-41 victory.
Faison led the charge with a game-high 29 points. Makayla Hall added seven points, and McKoy finished with four.
Midway’s scoring was more balanced, with Stonerock totaling 13 points, Herring scoring eight, and Clark adding seven.
Union head coach Bobby Lamb said the win marked a turning point for his team.
“Going into that game, we came to an agreement that this was the beginning of our season,” Lamb said. “We knew we had dropped a couple games, and if we could come out and beat Midway, it would be a great jump start for the rest of the games we have left. We haven’t beaten Midway in a while, so it was a great moment for our girls.”
Lamb added that he is encouraged by how the team has come together heading into a busy stretch.
“I’m looking for our girls to compete against Hobbton, South Lenoir, and West Columbus,” he said. “The girls are really playing good ball together right now, and it’s exciting to see them coming together.”
With a short bench, Lamb said conditioning and game management remain key factors.
“One of the most important things is using your timeouts, knowing we don’t have a big bench this year,” Lamb noted. “We try to prepare ourselves in practice for every team we play. Midway was up for the challenge Friday night. That was a great environment, and both programs played with a lot of heart.”
Midway head coach Susan Brown credited her team’s effort and resilience in the narrow loss.
“I’m extremely proud of how hard our girls competed,” Brown said. “We stayed composed, fought back, and put ourselves in position to win the game. That’s a tough environment to play in, and our girls showed a lot of heart.”
Brown added that the performance, despite the result, is something her team can build on moving forward.
“These games come down to one or two possessions,” she said. “We executed well down the stretch, and moments like this help prepare us for the rest of the season.”
Varsity boys
The Raiders got out to a blazing start, turning early Union turnovers into points. They began the game on an 8-0 run, quickly producing a Spartans timeout at the 6:59 mark. Things did not improve out of the break for Union, as Midway continued to score at a blistering pace. Tanner Williams reached double figures early, scoring 12 first-quarter points to lead the Raiders to a 26-8 advantage.
Midway was not quite as explosive in the second quarter, and Union’s scoring picked up slightly. Still, the Raiders maintained a 20-point cushion for much of the period. By halftime, Midway’s lead stood at 37-18.
That story remained unchanged in the third quarter as the teams played to an even stretch overall. Midway still held the upper hand and extended its lead beyond 20 points, carrying a 54-30 advantage into the fourth quarter.
From there, the only thing left to determine was the final margin, as the Raiders proved to be too much for a Spartans team hampered by injuries and illness. When the final horn sounded, Midway headed into the weekend with a 69-41 victory.
Leading scorers for Union were Kenny-Ray Bailey with 16 points and Latrell Owens with seven.
For Midway, Williams finished with a game-high 21 points, while Wesley Tew added 10.
Midway head coach Jermaine McNeil said the victory carried added significance against his former school.
“That right there was a monkey off my back,” McNeil said. “Union will always be home to me, but I’m very proud of these young men. To go 2-0 against my former school means a lot.”
McNeil credited his team for understanding the importance of the moment.
“They told me in the locker room they were going to play as hard as they could to get this win,” he said. “They didn’t let up, and they did exactly what they were supposed to do.”
As conference play approaches, McNeil said the team’s chemistry continues to be a driving force.
“It’s all love, and it’s all about chemistry,” McNeil said. “As we head into conference, we’re going to keep that same mentality, play hard, and work to get conference wins.”
With the win, Midway improved to 7-10 overall and 3-2 in the Swine Valley 2A/3A Conference. The Raiders return to action Tuesday at Goldsboro, host North Johnston on Wednesday, and travel to Princeton on Friday.
Union dropped to 3-10 overall and 1-4 in Carolina 1A/2A Conference play. The Spartans travel to Hobbton on Monday, host South Lenoir on Wednesday, and visit West Columbus on Friday.