JACKSON, Tenn. - The Union University men's basketball team lost 76-62 to the University of Alabama in Huntsville Thursday night at Fred DeLay Gymnasium/David Blackstock Court. Union dropped to 13-12 overall and 12-9 in the Gulf South Conference. Alabama Huntsville kept its hold on second place in the GSC with three games remaining with a 21-6 record on the season and 16-5 in league play. 

Union remains in sixth place in the league and despite the loss, has clinched a spot in the GSC tournament with West Florida's loss to AUM. 

Both teams started slow with neither team scoring for the first 2:38 of play. UAH opened with a three-pointer followed by a 3-pointer from Union's Boe Nguidjol. Union's first 12 points came from three-pointers from Nguidjol, Jalen Johnson, Layne Sarver, and Tylandrius Parks. A 13-0 run for Union pushed its early lead to 16-5 with 11:03 left in the half. The Chargers responded with an 18-3 run to take a 23-19 lead with 6:47 left. Union's only points in that stretch was a 3-pointer from Justin Debuck. A Parks jumper with 58 seconds left in the half cut the deficit to 30-25. However, UAH got a dunk and then stole the inbounds pass and hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to take a 35-25 lead into the locker room. 

Parks for Union hit a free throw to open the second half, but UAH continued its hot finish from the first half with eight straight points to lead 43-26. Union answered back with a  17-5 run to cut the deficit to five again, 48-43, with 14:12 left. UAH pushed it back to double figures and Union rallied to get withing five points one final time, 60-55 with 7:49 left. Union got as close as seven points late but UAH just kept making big shots down the stretch to hold off the Bulldogs. 

Union was led by Union was led by Park and Johnson with 18 points each. Johnson hit six 3-pointers in the game. Union shot 41 percent from the field, 38 percent (12-32), and 67 percent (6-9) from the free throw line. 

Alabama Huntsville was led by Johnson with 18 points, Burnett with 17 points and Shulman with 14 points. The Chargers shot 50 percent from the field, 45 percent (13-29) from long range, and 85 percent (11-13) from the foul line.  

Up next for Union will be the final regular season game of the year. Union will host GSC leader West Alabama Saturday, February 18 at 4 p.m. 

-UNION-