Box Score

LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The Union University men's basketball team ended their regular season with an 83-79 overtime loss at the University of West Alabama Saturday afternoon. The defeat dropped Union to 11-15 overall record and 7-13 in the Gulf South Conference. West Alabama improved to 17-9 and 14-6 in the GSC and will be the No. 2 seed in next week's GSC Tournament. Union finished in eighth place and would have qualified for the 8-team tournament, however, the Bulldogs are in their final year of the NCAA DII transition period and are not eligible for GSC or NCAA DII postseason play. Union will not turn their focus to the NCCAA MidEast Region Tournament in Bluefield, Va. March 13-15.
 
The two teams played close with the lead being less than five points for most of the first half. Union trailed 29-24 after a dunk by Jarell Byrd off a pass from Desmond Raymond at 5:37. The lead was never larger than five points until Corieon Pearson put in a free throw to give Union a 38-32 advantage with 1:13 to go before halftime. The Bulldogs ended the half in a flurry outscoring West Alabama 19-6 in the last 5:01 to take a 43-35 lead to intermission.
 
A layup by Roy Bullock gave Union a 50-39 lead with 18:21 to play. Raymond completed an 11-2 Tigers run with a layup that made the score 52-50 at the 12:50 mark. Union pushed the lead back to eight 58-50 at 10:24 as Ashanti Day made a layup. Raymond hit a 3-point basket at 5:32 giving the Tigers a 64-63 lead, their first since 3:58 of the first half. The Bulldogs last lead in regulation came with an AJ Roberts basket at 1:36 for a 70-69 edge. Roberts was fouled on the play and hit the free throw to raise the score to 71-69. Raymond hit a game tying layup with 26 seconds left to send the game to overtime 71-71.
 
Union took 75-73 overtime lead on a Day lay-in. West Alabama scored the next four points three from Lleon Tillman and a Raymond free throw for a 77-75 edge.  Day made another layup to tie the score at 79-79 with 53 seconds remaining. Despite suspect free throw shooting (2 of 6 in the last 38 seconds) West Alabama scored the final four points of the game for an 83-79 victory.
 
Roberts had game high efforts for Union pouring in 27 points and wrangling 11 rebounds. Pearson ended with 21 points for Union. Day finished with 12 points and Bullock 11.
 
Tillman netted 23 points off the bench to lead West Alabama. Raymond added 22 points and Byrd 14 for the Tigers.
 
Each team shot better than 47.5 percent from the field and above 40 percent from 3-point distance in the contest. Union was 29 of 61 (47.5 percent) from the field and 10 of 24 (41.7 percent) from 3-point range. West Alabama hit 32 of 64 (50 percent) from the field and made 7 of 16 (43.8 percent) of their 3-point attempts.
 
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