Photo Provided Members of the Union Local girls basketball team pose with its Ohio Division V Eastern District championship trophy Saturday at the ECO Center after defeating Martins Ferry, 60-43. The Jets advance to regional play on Wednesday in Logan.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — They’re back!

Union Local is no stranger to the Ohio Girls Basketball regional tournament, having appeared in the 2022 and 2023 Division III events. After a second place finish in the 2024 Eastern District, the Jets punched their third ticket in four years Saturday afternoon.

In front of a large turnout inside the ECO Center, top-seeded Union Local (20-5) led wire-to-wire in defeating No. 2 Martins Ferry, 60-43, for its first Division V championship.

“If we played them at the beginning of the year, we weren’t beating them. If we played them in the middle of the year, we weren’t beating them. If we played them two weeks ago, we weren’t beating them, but today we were beating them,” a jubilant Union Local head coach Lou “Scooter” Tolzda said. “This (win) feels really, really good. You talk about a group of over-achievers. If you would have seen us in our first scrimmage, I told myself then that we were in trouble, but the girls hung in there and kept working hard.

“It’s not where you begin, but where you finish. I’m really proud of this group.”

With the cherished win, the Jets travel to Jim Myers Gymnasium at Logan High School on Wednesday to face No. 3 Minford, a 51-36 winner over No. 4 Wheelersburg on Saturday night. The Belmont County squad split with the Pirates in 2022 and 2023, advancing to the state semifinals before bowing out to Cincinnati Purcell Marian.

The two seniors — Ella Pietranton and Teegan Day — were freshmen on that state qualifier.

“These girls are winners. It doesn’t matter if it’s volleyball or basketball, they’ve won in both,” Tolzda noted. “That goes a long way. I told them before the game, ‘we’ve been here before.’ It really helps. It does.”

Union Local scored the first eight points of the game and led 15-5 before Martins Ferry (17-7) made it 15-11 after eight minutes. The Jets built a 29-16 advantage midway through the second quarter before taking a 31-26 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Maddie Lucas nailed a pair of free throws with seven minutes on the third quarter clock that pulled the Purple Riders to within three, 33-30, but Union Local’s Myah Martin buried a bonus bomb that ignited a 9-0 run that put the Jets ahead by double figures.

Martins Ferry would never recover in missing out on its first regional appearance since 2002.

“We hung in there against a really good team,” Tolzda said. “I’ve coached a lot of good teams, but I’m as proud of this win as any of the others.”

Sophomore Ameera Saunders paced the Jets with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while also blocking three shots. Pietranton chipped in 13 points and Laken Vinskovich added 11 points and half-a-dozen boards. Martin finished with eight markers, one more than Delaney Butler. Day had six off the bench.

“”It feels so good,” Pietranton said of the district title. “We lost in this game last year, so this really makes up for it. Martins Ferry is a rival school and a good team, but we found a way to win the game.”

The Jets secured the win despite turning the ball over two dozen times.

“Twenty-four turnovers, that’s about two less than our average,” Tolzda admitted. “So, that wasn’t bad.”

“Give them credit. They played well,” veteran Martins Ferry head coach Dave Reasbeck said of the Jets. “That’s the first team all season that has beat us like that. In every other game we were in we had a chance. We never could get our run that we usually get and they always kept us at bay.

“I wish them all the luck in the world. They played well. They really did.”

Lindsey Best ended her Purple Rider career with 18 points. Giana Chirpas added 13 and Alivia Reese had six points, six rebounds and seven steals off the bench.

“My seniors have had great careers,” Reasbeck said of Best, Sidon, Shaylee Wise and Averie Hughes. “We just couldn’t get over that hump.”

When asked if it matters who the Jets play next, Tolzda quickly replied, “If it’s the Lakers, we’ll go play them.”

As for the future, Reasbeck insisted the Purple Riders will be back in 2025-26.

“Remember, we’ve still got four sophomores playing among our top six players,” he said. “People think we’re this senior-dominated team. We’re not. We’ll be back.”