Freshman Bently Burns' 16-13 double-double lifts Eastern Brown over West Union 48-36

Freshman Bently Burns posted season highs with 16 points and 13 rebounds, powering Eastern Brown to a 48-36 victory over West Union in Southern Hills Athletic Conference action. As it turned out, the Lady Dragons put up a fight but had no answer for Eastern freshman Bently Burns, who dominated the paint for season highs of 16 points and 13 rebounds, the double double effort leading the Lady Warriors to the eventual 48-36 victory.

Hitting the road for Southern Hills Athletic Conference action, the West Union Lady Dragons traveled to Eastern Brown on January 29, looking to pull off an upset of the Lady Warriors and severely damage the home team’s conference winning aspirations. Eastern Brown answered with balanced scoring behind Burns. Olivia Uhl finished with 13 points, Johnston had 11 and S. Uhl contributed 10; Fisher finished scoreless in the box. For West Union, Annabelle McIntosh led with 12 points, Violet Randolph scored 9, and Maddie Stout added 6 points and hauled in 10 rebounds. Cook scored 4 and Madison White had 5.

West Union managed only a 4-6 start in quarter scoring before the third and fourth quarters produced the decisive runs. Quarter-by-quarter totals read West Union 4 9 7 16 —36 and Eastern Brown 6 9 16 17 —48. As the third period began, the Lady Warriors pulled away with a quick 8-2 spurt to go up 23-15. A three-ball from the Lady Dragons’ Madison White cut the margin but a basket and later free throw from Burns put the Lady Warriors in front 31-20 after three.

The late surge from West Union arrived in the fourth. Just when you left the Lady Dragons for dead, they resurrected and began the fourth quarter with a 9-0 run, getting back to back three-pointers from McIntosh and Violet Randolph. The Lady Warriors weathered that blow and answered with nine straight to push their lead to 40-29. The home team continued to build on that advantage and closed out the 12-point win with a pair of Olivia Uhl free throws.

Box score lines: W. Union (36): Cook 1 1-2 4, McIntosh 3 4-6 12, Randolph 4 0-0 9, Stout 2 2-2 6, White 2 0-0 5, Team 12 7-10 36. E. Brown (48): Fisher 0 0-2 0, Johnston 3 3-4 11, O. Uhl 4 4-6 13, S. Uhl 4 2-2 10, Burns 7 2-4 16, Team 18 11-18 48. Three-point goals: W. Union (5)- Cook 1, McIntosh 2, Randolph 1, White 1. E. Brown (1)- O. Uhl 1.

Beyond the box score, this game matters to Adams County beyond wins and losses. Youth and high school sports like this provide daily opportunities for physical activity, teamwork and social support that contribute to mental and physical health in the community. Freshman performances such as Burns’ double-double offer visible role models for younger athletes and highlight the importance of equitable investment in girls athletics across schools and towns. Local officials and school boards should factor the health and social benefits of robust extracurricular programs into budget and policy decisions to help sustain participation and access.

Eastern Brown’s 12-point win preserves the home team’s conference aspirations and gives players like Burns and Olivia Uhl momentum as Southern Hills Athletic Conference play continues. For fans in Adams County, the result underscores the value of showing up at gym nights to support local athletes whose effort contributes to community wellbeing on and off the court.