JACKSON, Tenn. – The Union University men’s basketball team loses heart breaker to the #RV University of West Alabama by a final score of. Union’s record falls to 7-6 overall (4-5 GSC), while West Alabama’s record improves to 10-3 overall (7-2 GSC).
Since starting the season with four consecutive conference losses, Coach Niven’s squad has won four of their last five conference games. The Bulldogs have taken down the University of West Florida, Valdosta State University, the University of Montevallo, and Auburn University of Montgomery consecutively before falling to West Alabama. Over this stretch of games, the Bulldogs have climbed to the 7th spot in the GSC men’s basketball rankings.
Freshman Parker Applegate get the Bulldogs on the board first with a left wing three-pointer, then finds his first block of the game on the Tiger’s offensive possession. Applegate then found the bottom of the net for the second time, pushing Union’s lead to five points early in the first half. Applegate scored nine of Union’s first 12 points.
The Bulldog’s leading scorer on the season, Ahmad Johnson, connected deep off the right wing to push Union’s lead to nine with 11 minutes left in the first half. With nine minutes left in the first half, Johnson flashed his skillset with a step-back three-pointer in the face of a Tiger defender.
West Alabama completed a 10-0 run that spanned over three minutes, cutting the Bulldog lead down to two. Jeremiah Littlepage halted the Tiger’s run with his first three-pointer of the game, giving the Bulldogs a four-point cushion with five minutes to play in the first half. Following a field goal from West Alabama, Littlepage found success in the post, spinning towards the basket to hold the Bulldog lead at four.
Last week’s GSC Freshman of the Week, Devaki Garr, scored eight points in the first half of the game. Garr provided a spark to the Bulldog’s offense with his speed in transition. With under a minute to go Ahmad Johnson hit a turn-around jumper to give the Bulldogs a 10-point lead. Jaylon Lemons for West Alabama answered back with a three-pointer, assisted by Thaddeus Williams.
With 17 seconds on the clock, the Bulldog offense found Johnson for his second three-pointer of the game at the buzzer. Union shot 52.2% from the floor and 53.3% from beyond the arc. At the break, Johnson led all scorers with 12 points off of 4-6 shooting. The Bulldogs led for over nine minutes in the first half and went into intermission with a 39-29 lead.
The Bulldogs opened the second half on fire, seeing baskets fall from Jordan Pyke and Lane Sarver who had been quiet through the first half of play. Union completed an 8-2 run to increase their lead to 18 points with 17 minutes left in the game. With under 15 minutes to go, Littlepage connected off the right wing for his second three-pointer of the game.
West Alabama pulled within 10 points following a Maurice Dickson three-pointer with 13 minutes left to play. The Tiger’s offense continued to roll, pulling within five points of Union with 10 minutes remaining.
West Alabama’s momentum carried the Tigers on a 7-0 run, tying the game at 59 with seven minutes left to play. Applegate hit a pivotal three with five minutes remaining in the game to give the Bulldogs a three-point lead but was quickly answered in transition with a jumper from Kuran Garner. Union only led by a point with 4:51 to go.
Ahmad Johnson converted an and-one play with four minutes remaining, 67-63 Bulldogs. Kuran Garner converted both of his attempts at the line to pull the Tigers back within one, answered in transition with an Ahmad Johnson three-pointer.
Once again, West Alabama tied the game off a Thaddeus Williams lay-in. With under a minute remaining in the game, Thaddeus Williams converted another lay-up that proved to be the game-winning shot.
Union was led offensively by Ahmad Johnson who tallied 17 points. Layne Sarver led all Bulldogs in rebounds with five. Four Bulldogs scored in double-digits on the night (Ahmad Johnson, Parker Applegate, Jeremiah Littlepage, Jordan Pyke).
Union’s next game is on January 8th versus the University of Alabama at Huntsville. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
