PENSACOLA, Fla. — Union University men’s basketball used a late rally to overcome an 11-point second-half deficit, snap a five-game skid and top West Florida 82-78 on Saturday afternoon at the UWF Field House.
The Argos (4-11, 3-6 GSC), led 57-46 with just over nine minutes of game time remaining when the Bulldogs commenced a 36-21 run that featured 8-11 shooting and just one turnover. Union took the lead at 65-54 with 3:00 on the clock, expanded it to seven points, and sunk 10 free throws in the final minute to ice the road victory.
Parker Applegate led Union scorers with 23 and, with 10 rebounds, collected his third double-double in the last four games. CJ Jackson had 21 points, and Jeremiah Littlepage, who made it a two-possession affair at the free throw line with four seconds remaining, contributed 18.
After an initial 20 minutes of seven lead changes and seven ties, the Argos held a 37-33 lead.
Applegate, the reigning GSC Player of the Week, has been on a tear recently, averaging 21 points and 10.5 rebounds in his last four games. Jackson posted his eighth 20-point night and sits tied for sixth in the conference with 18.3 points per game. His eight rebounds against UWF were his most since December 5.
Union tied its season-low with four three-point makes but shot at a .308 clip (4-13). UWF also made four threes–two in each half–but only shot .200 (4-20).
Union will now return to Jackson for a pair of home games with Lee and GSC newcomer Trevecca Nazarene. The Flames and Bulldogs will tip off at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.
