Friday night at Union, both the Union Spartans JV boys and the Lakewood Lady Leopards walked away as NCHSAA 1A/2A Eastern Conference Tournament champions after a pair of hard-fought victories.
The Union JV boys outlasted East Columbus 64-58 in a physical, back-and-forth contest. With the game tight late, the Spartans relied on poise at the free-throw line and timely defensive stops to seal the six-point win and secure the conference crown on their home floor.
In the varsity girls championship, the Lakewood Lady Leopards edged East Bladen 45-40 in a defensive battle that stayed close from start to finish. Lakewood made key plays down the stretch to protect their lead and bring another title back to Roseboro…