JACKSON, Tenn. - The Union University men's basketball team dropped a close one 74-71 Thursday night to Auburn University at Montgomery at Fred DeLay Gymnasium. Union fell to 6-4 overall and 2-2 in the Gulf South Conference. AUM improved to 3-8 on the season and 1-4 in league play.
Union jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead in the game through the first three minutes of play. That proved to be the largest lead of the night for Union. Union maintained a small lead until an AUM 3-point play put the Warhawks in from 13-12 at the 12:37 mark. AUM led for the rest of the half, taking a 35-24 lead into the locker room.
In the second half, AUM seemed to be putting the game away as the lead was pushed up to 19 points, 63-44, with just over nine minutes left to play.
However, Union came storming back. In less than six minutes of play, it had come all the way back to take a brief lead. Terrence Ringo, Jr., the reigning GSC and TSWA Player of the Week, sank two free throws to put Union up 67-66 with 3:48 left to play. AUM got the lead back on the next possession. Union got as close as 72-71 in the final minute with possession of the ball. A costly turnover and a pair of AUM free throws with two seconds left sealed the win for the Warhawks.
Union outscored AUM 47-39 in the second half, but struggled from the field most of the night in the loss. AUM was 7-of-13 (54%) from behind the arc in the game.
Union was led by Mason McBride with 23 points. Ringo added 19 points, and Will Lovings-Watts scored 11. Both Ringo and Lovings-Watts led with eight boards. The Bulldogs shot 39 percent from the field, 27 percent (6-22) from 3-point range, and 85 percent (17-20) from the foul line.
AUM was led by Chappelle Whitney with 21 points and Marius Canery with 13. The Warhawks shot 47 percent from the field, 54 percent (7-13) from 3-point range, and 61 percent (17-28) from the free throw line.
Up next for Union will be Saturday, December 20, at 4 p.m. versus the University of Montevallo, the final game before the Christmas break.
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