PHOTO COURTESY OF UNION COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT/FACEBOOOK

ELDORA — The Union girls basketball team closed out its 2025-26 campaign on the road Saturday, Feb. 14, falling to the South Hardin Tigers, 45-38, in a Class 2A Region 8 first-round contest.

South Hardin (10-12) took control early, building an 11-7 lead by the end of the first quarter and then stretching the margin to 26-16 by halftime.

Union battled throughout the second half, holding South Hardin to just five points in the third quarter before mounting their strongest push in the fourth – pouring in 16 points — but ultimately not quite managing the distance.

Freshman Paige Pipho led Union offensively with a dozen points on an efficient 5-of-8 shooting, including one 3-pointer, while also pulling down six rebounds. Sophomore Reese Anderson added eight points, eight rebounds, three assists, and a game-high three steals in an all-around effort. Senior Reagan Glenn contributed six points and five rebounds in her final game, while junior Taylen Smith had four points, three rebounds, and three of the Knights’ five blocks.

Union shot a solid 40.5% from the field (15-of-37), but turnovers proved costly with the Knights committing 33 giveaways. Union also finished with 19 fouls in the contest. Statistics were not available for South Hardin as of press time.

Under first-year head coach Matt Craft, the Knights finish the season 5-17 overall, 4-14 in the North Iowa Cedar League – matching the program’s highest win total since the 2022-23 season.