JACKSON, Tenn. – Led by 29 points from CJ Jackson, the Union University men’s basketball team mounted an electrifying second-half comeback and beat the Trevecca Nazarene Trojans 86-83 in Fred DeLay Gymnasium Saturday afternoon.
Union (10-7, 6-5) has won three straight since snapping a five-game skid. The Trojans fall to 12-5 (7-4).
After coming out of halftime down 46-40, Union used a 12-6 run to tie the game before a Jackson three-pointer gave the Bulldogs a 55-54 lead with 12:27 to play.
The next few minutes of back-and-forth basketball saw knots at 58, 60, 64 and 68–the game featured 11 lead changes and seven ties–and when Union ground out a 77-71 lead, the Trojans responded with a 7-0 run and a 78-77 advantage.
Union then retook the lead and stretched it to 84-78 with a minute remaining, and that was finally enough–the game only ended a three-point affair thanks to a Jalen Page layup at the buzzer.
Finishing with Jackson in double-figures were Jeremiah Littlepage (17), Judson Bjornstad (14) and Kaleim Taylor (10). Jikari Johnson and Mateo Esmeraldo led the Trojans with 24 and 23 points, and Page, who leads the conference in scoring with 22.5 per night, had 19.
Union shot just 2-12 from beyond the arc in the first half before connecting on five of 10 in the second frame for a total of 7-22 (.318). TNU edged the Bulldogs in three-point shooting at .343 (12-35) but shot a lower percentage overall (.493 to .431).
Notes:
CJ Jackson’s 29-point night was his second-highest as a Union Bulldog and three points off his Union- and career-high night of 32 points at Montevallo on December 21. He finished 12-20 from the floor, the most field goals made by a Bulldog this season.
Saturday was Jackson’s third 25-point game of the season, ninth 20-point game, and 16th in double-figures. He averages 18.5 points per game, good for sixth in the GSC.
Littlepage notched his ninth double-figure scoring night and fourth outing with 15. Saturday was also his second game of the year with multiple made threes. He finished 2-4 from deep.
Bjornstad recorded a career-high in combined points and rebounds (23). With 14 and nine, he was three points and one rebound off of his career-highs. His seven made field goals were also a career-high.
Taylor tallied his 10th 10-point night.
Parker Applegate recorded his fourth-straight night rebounding in double-figures and his seventh 10-board night overall. He collects 9.4 ricochets on average, second in the GSC.
Union was perfect (13-13) from free throws for the second time this season, joining its 12-12 performance against UAH on January 2. TNU had its season’s best game from the stripe as well, sinking 15 of 16 (.938). Taylor finished 6-6 at the line.
Union’s eight steals were the team’s most in conference play and two off the season-high of 10 against Williams Baptist (November 14).
Union’s total of 86 points was a conference-schedule high for the team and behind only the 95 the Bulldogs scored against WBU.
The Bulldogs are perfect on the season (6-0) when they score 82 and 8-2 when scoring 74.
TNU recorded its season-low in total rebounds with just 27.
