Photo by Kim North Union Local’s Ameera Saunders and Wheeling Park’s Jalayiah Broomes battle for the opening tip during Friday afternoon’s Sam Andy Classic at WesBanco Arena in downtown Wheeling. The Jets rolled to a 61-31 victory.

WHEELING — Union Local’s ‘Twin Towers’ — Laken Vinskovich and Ameera Saunders — dominated the paint and Delaney Butler lit it up from the outside as the Jets (5-0) remained perfect Friday afternoon with a 61-31 victory over the Patriots inside WesBanco Arena in the opener of the Sam Andy Classic.

Vinskovich, a 6-foot senior, netted 15 of her game-high 23 points in the first half as Union Local ran out to a 28-8 halftime lead. Saunders added 10 of her 12 in the first 16 minutes as they scored all but three of their team’s points.

“Laken and Ameera are both great athletes,” veteran Union Local head coach Lou “Scooter” Tolzda said. “They make it hard on our opponents. The good thing about them, they can also play on the perimeter, not just inside.”

With Union Local holding a 9-3 advantage after the first quarter, Vinskovich went to work. She scored 13 points in the second quarter during a 19-0 run by the Jets that sealed the deal.

“We work on our defense, I keep saying this, we take pride in our defense,” Tolzda said. “We guard you 19-9. We don’t press a lot, but in the last five years, we just lock teams down on defense. We’ve done pretty good.”

Vinskovich continued her torrid play with six third-quarter markers as the lead ballooned to 41-20. Butler caught fire in the fourth quarter, tallying eight of her 15. She connected on four of the Jets’ nine trifectas.

“(Laken) Vinskovich uses her body so well around the rim,” Wheeling Park head coach Ryan Young said. “She is a really experienced basketball player that comes from a basketball family. I thought she played a really good game and (Ameera) Saunders is a force, as well. We had trouble matching up with both of them.

Italy Schroeder led Wheeling Park, which played without injured Kerringtyn Miller and Layla Pettit, with eight points. K’Lyn Neider and Brielle Wells each had seven. Young hopes are back soon.

“Not having Karringtyn and Layla hurt us some because they are the two that can guard the bigs or guards,” Young said. “Hopefully, both of them are short term injuries.”

“If we can get Delaney, Alli and Myah going offensively, and get some production off the bench, we’;re going to get pretty good,” Tolzda noted. “We’re going to keep grinding and working hard in practice. That’s where it starts.”

Tolzda said it was nice to play at WesBanco Arena.

“We gave up a home game to come down here and play Wheeling Park,” Tolzda said. “They were supposed to come to our place, but when they invited us to this great event, I couldn’t turn it down. Playing on a big floor like this will help us come tournament time.”

Union Local returns to action Monday at St. Clairsville in a varsity-only tilt. Wheeling Park travels to Morgantown on Tuesday.