UNION -- The Jefferson City Lady Jays held the Sullivan Lady Eagles to single digits in each of the four quarters Friday in a 30-20 victory in the semifinals of the Union Invitational.
Jefferson City (9-4), the tournament’s top seed, will take on second-seeded Union (10-3) for the title at 5:30 p.m. today. The Lady Jays have won the title in their last five appearances in the tournament.
The game was tied just once, that coming at 2 with 5:30 left in the opening quarter. Jefferson City then scored the final 10 points of the quarter to take a 12-2 lead.
A 3-pointer by Bri Avey with 4:17 left in the second quarter gave Jefferson City a 15-6 lead. Sullivan scored the final four points of the half as Jefferson City took a 15-10 lead into intermission. Six of Sullivan’s eight points in the quarter came at the free-throw line.
Jefferson City tallied the final six points of the third quarter -- a three-point play by Hannah Linthacum and a 3-pointer by Natyiah Ewing -- to take a 25-14 lead.
Jefferson City led by as many as 14 points in the fourth quarter, that coming at 30-16 after a pair of Linthacum free throws.
Linthacum finished with 12 points, 16 rebounds and three blocked shots for the Lady Jays, ranked ninth in Class 5.
Sullivan (4-7) will play Southern Boone (9-6) in the third-place game at 4 p.m. today.