Box Score

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Union University men's basketball team fell 77-69 at the University of Alabama Huntsville Thursday night. Union dropped to 11-14 overall and 7-12 in the Gulf South Conference. Alabama Huntsville improved to 15-11 on the season and 11-8 in league play.

Union led by six points with 8:30 left in the game. However, Alabama Huntsville rallied and outscored Union 21-8 over the final eight minutes to earn the win.

Union and Alabama Huntsville played close with an 11-11 score at the first media timeout. Corieon Pearson gave the Bulldogs a 17-14 edge after hitting his third 3-point shot of the half at 13:14. Pedro Faller drilled the first shot he took moving the score to 20-14. The Bulldogs went ahead 25-18 after Faller sank another 3-point basket. Alabama Huntsville pulled within one 27-26 before Ashanti Day put in a lay-up for a 29-26 lead. Faller made it 32-28 by nailing his third 3-point try of the half. AJ Roberts knocked in a 3-point try to push the Union advantage to 37-31 with 2:16 left. The Bulldogs went to halftime ahead 39-34.

A 4-0 Chargers run to begin the half trimmed the Bulldogs margin to 39-38. Layups from Roy Bullock and Roberts increased the Union lead to 43-38 only to watch Alabama Huntsville move back to within one 43-42. The Chargers went ahead 49-45 after four Wayne Dedrick free throws and a 3-point bucket by Andrew Donavan. Paul Valdor hit the fourth of four long range shots in a row by Union preceded by Pearson, Roberts and Faller as Union regained a 57-51 lead at 8:35. Ronnie Mack put in a 3-point shot at 3:32 to cap a 13-3 run giving the Chargers a 64-60 lead.  After a Pearson layup Mack popped in another 3-pointer with 2:54 to go raising the score to 67-62. A Conner Blasi dunk put Alabama Huntsville ahead 70-62. A layup by Roy Bullock got Union within seven 72-65. Alabama Huntsville held off the late Union charge winning 77-69.

Faller, Pearson and Roberts led the Bulldogs with 14 points each. Ashanti Day added 13 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Union hit only 46.7 percent (7-of-15) from the free-throw line. The Bulldogs hit 12-of-29 (41.4 percent) shots from long range and were 40 percent from the field overall.

Connor Blasi led all scorers with 22 points, while Gardner put in 19. Alabama Huntsville went to the free throw line 31 times and made 24, 87.1 percent. The Chargers shot 45.5 percent (10-of-22) from the field in the second half while the Bulldogs (10-of-22) connected at a 30.6 percent rate.

Union will complete their regular season with a Gulf South Conference game at West Alabama Saturday at 4:00 p.m.
                                                   
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