Box Score JACKSON, Tenn. – Union University's
Corieon Pearson buried a 3-point shot from the right corner to lift the home team to victory over the University of West Alabama Saturday afternoon in Fred DeLay Gymnasium. The win snaps a three game losing streak by the Bulldogs. The Union triumph stops a six game West Alabama winning streak, their longest since the 2004-05 season. With the win Union improved to 9-7 overall and 5-5 in the Gulf South Conference. West Alabama dropped to 10-6 and 7-3 in GSC play.
With half a minute to play in the game, Union's
Roy Bullock knotted the score at 77-77 with a 3-pointer from the left wing off a pass from
Corieon Pearson. A Woolfolk jump shot with three seconds left put West Alabama up 79-77. Then, with no timeout called, Union's Bullock fed Pearson for the final heroics. Pearson released the shot in front of the home bench with under a second remaining and saw it swish through the net for the game winner, sending the Bulldogs and the crowd into a celebration frenzy.
It was the second straight game for West Alabama to have decided on a shot at the buzzer. Thursday night's game at North Alabama went in favor of the Tigers as an offensive rebound and tip-in at the buzzer gave West Alabama the 74-72 win in Florence.
Union controlled the high octane West Alabama offense using a deliberate tempo in the first half. The Tigers came into the contest averaging 84 points per game in their last six outings. After an opening layup by
Eric Leisey, Bullock hit a running jump shot in the lane to put Union in front 4-3. Desmond Raymond finished a 7-0 West Alabama run with a 3-point basket from the top of the key for a 10-4 lead that forced a Union timeout at 16:24. A driving Bullock 10-foot pull up jump shot wrapped a 16-4 Bulldogs surge to give the home team a 20-14 advantage with 7:45 remaining in the half. Union pushed the lead to nine points four times before
Felipe Rocha hit a pair of free throws with 1:06 left for a double digit margin 38-27. Pearson splashed home his first buzzer-beater of the game to end the first half. Taking an inbounds pass from Bullock, Pearson released a shot from the right wing that glided through the bottom of the net to put Union ahead 41-27 at halftime.
The Bulldogs continued their offensive onslaught running out to a 49-31 edge in the initial two minutes of the second half. A straightaway 3-point bucket from Jared Woolfolk capped an 11-2 spurt that resulted in West Alabama being down nine, 51-42 at 14:55. Union went up 57-42 but West Alabama rallied. The Tigers responded with 10 straight points getting a pair of 3-point makes from Raymond and layups from Lleon Tillman and Jarell Byrd to trail 57-52 by 11:41.
AJ Roberts hit a jumper from the right side of the free throw line to put Union up 59-52. A Raymond layup pulled West Alabama within one, 61-60. Union gained separation scoring eight of the next 12 points to go up five, 69-64 with about five minutes to play. The Tigers took a 71-70 lead on two free throws by Demetrius Powe at the 3:37 mark. It was the first West Alabama lead since the 12:00 mark (14-12) of the first half. West Alabama grew had a three point advantage twice in the waning minutes of the game 75-72 after free throws by Byrd at 2:18, then 77-74 following a Woolfolk layup with :44 left.
The Bulldogs had three players score in double figures. Pearson led the way with 23 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, including 6-of-7 from 3-point range.
Ashanti Day added 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field. Bullock added 16 points included a pair of three pointers. Union shot 48 percent from the field, including 50 percent in the second half. Union was 11-of-25 from long range for 44 percent, including 6-of-10 (60%) in the second half. Union was 83 percent (15-18) from the free throw line.
West Alabama's Raymond had a game high 29 points on 10-of-13 from the field and 5-of-6 from 3-point range. Woolfolk had 19 points and Byrd scored 14. Tillman pulled in 10 rebounds to lead all players. The Tigers shot 48 percent from the field, including 60 percent in the second half. West Alabama shot 41 percent (7-17) from 3-point range and 87 percent (26-30) from the free throw line.
Up next for Union will be the third of four straight home games, Thursday, January 30 at 8:00 p.m. when Shorter (Ga.) comes to Jackson.
#UNION#
