The Elizabethton Cyclones boarded the bus for Big Stone Gap, Virginia hoping to pick up a win before Christmas as they tangled with the Union Bears in roundball hoops play.

The end result was a mixed bag as the Lady Cyclones fell to the Lady Bears, 54-37, while the Elizabethton boys continued their stellar early-season play with a 9-point win over the Bears by a 62-53 margin.

Boys

Elizabethton 62

Union 53

While the weather outside was frightful, the action inside on the hardwood was anything but as Evan Perkins was setting the nets on fire for Elizabethton lighting up the scoreboard for 34 points to lead the Cyclones to a 62-53 win.

Perkins scored 20 of his 34 in the first half as Elizabethton built a 10-point lead, 33-23. The Cyclones also got 5 points from Bryson Rollins while Brayden Phillips, Eric Wilson, Nico Ashley, and Carter Everett scored a field goal apiece in the half.

Alex Rasnick and Andy Jones paced the Bears as Rasnick totaled 8 points and Jones 7 points to keep Union within reach.

Perkins continued his hot hand in the third scoring 7 points to keep the Cyclones in the driver’s seat. Wilson also connected on a trey.

The Cyclones hit 9-of-12 free throws down the final eight minutes of play to secure the victory.

Aside from Perkins big night, Rollins capped off a solid night with 9 points with Wilson collecting 8 points.

Everett contributed with six points with Ashley and Phillips closing out the scoring book with 3 points and 2 points respectively.

Jones led a trio of Bears in scoring with 20 points. Rasnick and Noah Garrison scored 14 points each for Union.

Girls

Union 54

Elizabethton 37

After a low-scoring first half that saw the Lady Bears of Union build a 19-10 lead before putting the game on ice in the second half to take the 17-point win over the Lady Cyclones of Elizabethton by a 54-37 margin.

Kaylen Shell and Abbey Townsend provided all the points in the opening half points for Elizabethton as Shell scored eight points while Townsend totaled two points.

Jayda Smith led the Lady Bears with eight points in the first 16 minutes.

The Lady Cyclones just couldn’t get going in the second half as Union continued to build their advantage with a 35-27 run over the final 16 minutes of play.

Smith finished the game with 23 points while fellow teammate Emili Brooks had a solid second half to finish with 15 points.

Heather Lipps also chipped in with 8 points in the win for Union.

Shell led the Lady Cyclones with 18 points in the contest. Morgan Headrick and McKendra Norris finished with 6 points and 5 points respectively while Torrie Roberts and Townsend finished with 4 points apiece.