PENSACOLA, Fla. – The Union University men's basketball team lost 88-79 to the University of West Florida in overtime Saturday afternoon. Union dropped to 17-8 on the season and 11-8 in the Gulf South Conference. West Florida improved to 6-16 overall and 5-14 in league play.
 
Union has already clinched a spot in the GSC Tourney. However, with the loss, Union drops into a three way tie for fourth place with just three games left in the season. The top four seeds will host the first round games March 1, while the semifinals and finals will be played in Birmingham, Ala. at Samford University.
 
Union is 9-0 at home this season in GSC play, but has really struggled on the road, dropping to 2-8 on the road league play after the loss.
 
Union led by seven points at the half, 47-40, and led for the entire second half until West Florida tied the game at the end of regulation. Union's biggest lead was 65-52 with 12:50 left in the second half.  West Florida slowly chipped away and with 1:33 left, tied the game at 72-72. Union's Marterrace Brock answered to give Union the 74-72 lead with 1:17 left. But with 58 seconds left in regulation, West Florida tied the game at 74-74. Union scored just four points in the final 4:25 of regulation.
 
Including the last eight minutes of regulation and the five minutes of overtime, West Florida outscored Union 24-10.
 
In overtime, West Florida scored first and never trailed. Union did not score in overtime until a pair of free throws by Serigne Mboup with 2:18 left, cutting the deficit to just two points, 78-76. Union's only other points of overtime came on their only field goal of the extra period, a 3-pointer from Jordan Montgomery that pulled Union to within three points, 82-79, with 1:18 left. However, West Florida hit a layup and was 4-for-4 from the free throw line in the final minute to seal the win.
 
Union was led by Marterrace Brock with 21 points. Montgomery added 18 points on 5-of-7 three pointers. Roy Bullock added 15 and Mboup scored 12. Ashanti Day added 12 rebounds. Union shot 42 percent from the field, 32 percent (8-25) from 3-point range and 75 percent (21-28) from the free throw line. Union was 7-of-16 from 3-point range in the first half, and was just 1-of-9 in the second half and overtime.
 
West Florida was led by Mario Stramaglia with 26 points on 7-of-12 from long range. Austin Somerfield added 20 points, while Rashaan Benson and Deangelo Legrier added 14 points each. The Argos shot 54 percent from the field, 47 percent (9-19) from behind the arc and 78 percent (21-27) from the free throw line.
 
Up next for Union will be the third of three straight road games when the Bulldogs travel to North Alabama Thursday, February 18 at 8 p.m. Listen at 93.1 FM or online at www.uuathletics.com/live.
 
-UNION-