First Half: Delta State 39, Union 32
Union’s starting five consisted of Justin Debuck, Isaiah Victor, Parker Applegate, Jeremiah Littlepage, and Ahmad Johnson.
The first half started off slow for both programs, shooting a combined 0-5 until the Bulldog’s Justin Debuck hit a mid-range jumper to take a one-point lead. Maalik Cartwright scored the first field goal for the Statesmen on a layup. Isaiah Victor answered with a jumper of his own and an Ahmad Johnson jumper to extend the Union lead to five. Bryce Clayton hit a three-pointer to even the score at 10 with 14:34 left on the clock.
Union fell behind the Statesman following a 9-0 run, seized by a put-back from Parker Applegate. DSU extended their league to six off of a Bryce Clayton bucket. The Statesmen captured their largest lead of the game (8) off of a Keithean Brooks three-pointer.
The Bulldog’s leading scorer on the season, Johnson, cut the DSU lead down to seven on a mid-range jumper. The Statesmen quickly jumped back out to an 11-point lead thanks to a Chris Terrell three-pointer. Justin Debuck gets in on the scoring, cutting down the DSU lead to six points. Jordan Pyke swung the momentum back in favor of the Bulldogs with a dunk over a Statesmen defender. The Bulldogs completed a 9-0 run with just under four minutes remaining to draw within a possession of the Statesmen.
Delta State’s Kelen Dietrich answered with a jumper to extend the Statesmen lead back to six with three minutes remaining in the first half. Johnson was able to convert in transition to pull Union within four with a minute left to play. Delta State ended the half with a three-pointer from Caleb Allen at the buzzer to go into the break with a seven-point lead.
Halftime Stats:
Ahmad Johnson: 15 points, 2 assists, 4 rebounds
Parker Applegate: 6 points, 4 rebounds
Justin Debuck: 6 points, 2 assists, 4 rebounds
Second Half: Delta State 86, Union 66
Jeremiah Littlepage got the scoring going for the Bulldogs in the second half to keep the Statesmen lead at seven. Talented freshman forward Parker Applegate collected his 7th and 8th points off a layup to cut the Statesmen lead down to five points. Maalik Cartwright scored the Statesmen’s first five points to hold a five-point lead. Isaiah Victor was able to convert the Bulldog’s first three-pointer of the game. Union started the game 0-10 from beyond the arc.
With 15 minutes left to go in the second half Union found themselves down four points (45-41). DSU extended their lead on a pair of free throws and a three-pointer from Derek Moore. Kelen Dietrich hits his second three-pointer of the game to give the Statesmen their biggest lead of the game (12). Union drew back to within eight following back-to-back possessions ending in dunks.
Maalik Cartwright and the Statesmen’s offense kept rolling against the Bulldogs, extending their lead back to 11 points with 11 minutes left in the second half. Union could not seem to find an answer for the Statesmen’s offense, trailing by 14 points with five minutes left in the game. Jeremiah Littlepage cut the Statesmen’s lead to 11 with a three-point play. Cartwright continued to make the Bulldogs pay in transition, scoring his 21st and 22nd points off a Bulldog turnover late in the second half. Union ended the game shooting 41.2% from the floor and 11.1% from three-point range.
Notable Stat Lines
Ahmad Johnson: 23 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists
Parker Applegate: 12 points, 10 rebounds
Union’s next game is on December 3rd versus the University of West Georgia.
