Union seniors Nadir Goodwin and Warren Gay went out with a bang on Senior Night, scoring 30 of the Spartans’ 65 points in a close, hard-fought victory over East Bladen.
Union came out red hot taking a 15-point lead, but East Bladen would make a run down the stretch to eventually tie the game at 63. Following a timeout, the coaching staff drew up a play to get a shot. Goodwin hit the game winner with 20 seconds remaining in the game to seal the win 65-63.
“It was a super game for our two seniors Warren Gay and Nadir Goodwin,” noted Coach Keagan Warren.
The Spartans came out of the gate ready to taste a sweet victory. Gay and Goodwin led the charge, scoring six points each and Derrick Smith hit four. Union took a 23-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. Smith would take charge in the second quarter, scoring nine points, but East Bladen would battle back to outscore the Spartans 22-12 to cut the deficit to 35-32 at the half.
The second half was a seesaw battle, with the Spartans holding on to a 52-48 lead. Smith, Goodwin and Gay once again led the charge. The Eagles tied up the game late in the fourth quarter, and that’s when Goodwin nailed the jumper to give the Spartans a big win after a very frustrating season.
“East Bladen made a run, but our guys finally prevailed,” Warren stated. “We stayed under control during pressure situations. I’m so proud of these guys.”
Smith led Union with 21 points while Goodwin would sink 16, including the game winner. Gay scored 14 points.
Union travels to Midway on Thursday night to conclude the regular season.