Box Score
JACKSON, Tenn. – The Union University Bulldogs dropped a home contest to No. 9 University of Alabama-Huntsville 78-62 Thursday night at Fred DeLay Gymnasium. Union fell to 3-11 on the season and 1-5 in the Gulf South Conference. Alabama-Huntsville improved to 13-2 overall and 6-1 in league play.
Union trailed just 30-28 at the break and at the 17:53 mark of the second half, led 34-32.
The first half produced three ties and two lead changes in the first 20 minutes. Union was down by as many as eight points in the first half, 26-18 with 5:51 left to play. However Union posted an 8-0 run to tie the game at 26-26 with 2:59 left. Union got a jumper from
Corieon Pearson with 23 seconds left to give Union a brief lead, 28-27. Alabama-Huntsville's Jaime Smith then drained a 3-pointer in the final seconds to put his team up at the half.
After Union took a brief 2-point lead early in the second half, 34-32, Alabama-Huntsville posted a 16-4 run to go up by 10 points, 48-38. Union cut the deficit to eight points, when Alabama-Huntsville made two technical foul free throws, followed by a 3-pointers just seconds later. That 5-point swing sparked a 13-2 run that put the Chargers up by 19 points, 61-42 with 10:41 left to play.
Union cut the lead back down to 10 points with 8:16 left in the game, and again with 7:41 left, but was not able to get any closer. The Chargers proved their lofty national ranking and put the Bulldogs away, leading by many as 23 points, 78-55, down the stretch. Union made a few late shots to set the final at 78-62.
Union was led by Dani Marti with 17 points and 14 rebounds.
Anthony Freeman added 12 points,
Corieon Pearson scored 11 and
AJ Roberts added 10 points. Union shot 40 percent from the field, 24 percent (5-21) from long range, and 61 percent (11-18) from the free throw line.
Alabama-Huntsville was led by Smith with 19 points. Zane Campbell added 15 points and Ronnie Mack scored 11 points. The Chargers hot 47 percent from the field, 38 percent (9-24) from 3-point range, and 73 percent (19-26) from the free throw line.
Up next for Union will be a road conference game at Shorter (Ga.), Saturday at 3:00 p.m. central time.
#UNION#
