JACKSON, Tenn. - The Union University men's basketball team lost a heartbreaker, 103-101 in overtime, to Valdosta State University. Union dropped to 7-7 overall and 3-5 in the Gulf South Conference. Valdosta State improved to 8-6 on the season and 3-5 in league play.
Union and VSU are no strangers to high-scoring games. VSU has scored at least 100 points against Union in four straight games, and five times in the last seven. Union has hit at least 100 points in three of those seven games, all at Union, all in overtime, and all in losing efforts.
Both teams came out firing, each shooting over 50 percent from the field in the first half. Union scored the first four points before VSU came back to lead 8-6. Union surged ahead 26-17 with 12:41 left in the half. But again, VSU, displaying the NCAA Division II No. 3 scoring offense in the nation, used a 19-6 run to regain a 36-32 lead. VSU pushed ahead and took the game's first double-digit lead, a 52-42, halftime advantage.
Union shot 53 percent in the first half, while VSU was at 55 percent from the field. VSU scored 17 first-half points off Union turnovers, while Lucas Brown led all scorers with 18 first-half points, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range. Both Terrence Ringo, Jr. and Will Lovings-Watts scored 10 each for the Bulldogs in the first 20 minutes of play.
It was Union coming out hot in the second half, with a 15-4 run to regain the lead, 57-56. But again, the lead changed hands for the fifth time in the game. VSU pushed out to a 69-61 lead with 11:22 left in the game.
Union would not let VSU pull away. Union tied the game at 71 each, then both teams swapped leads over the next two possessions. Union then took a 79-77 lead on a Ringo layup with 6:10 left to play. Union extended its lead to 84-79 on a 3-pointer from Jack Shackelford with 3:19 to play. The teams swapped baskets, and after a 3-point play from Jamirr Allen and a bucket from Ringo, Union had its largest lead of the second half, 89-82, with 2:14 left.
However, as has been the case the entire game, no lead is safe. VSU posted a 7-2 run to cut Union's lead to 91-89 with 38 seconds to play. After a VSU timeout, the Blazers stole the ball from Union and converted a layup to tie the game at 91-91 with 16 seconds left, forcing a Union timeout. Union failed to score, sending the game to overtime.
In overtime, Union scored first, answered by VSU. That went on for three possessions. VSU broke the cycle as Blaise Wallace scored six straight points himself, to take VSU from a 2-point deficit to a four-point lead with 20 seconds left. Union got two free throws from Lovings-Watts to cut the Union deficit to two, 101-99, with 14 seconds left. Union fouled, and VSU missed the front end of a one-and-one. However, Union could not gather the loose-ball rebound, and VSU got the offensive board. VSU hit one free throw, missing the second, with Union getting the rebound. Lovings-Watts was fouled and hit two free throws to get Union to within one, 102-101, with five seconds remaining. VSU again with free throws, missing the first and making the second to put VSU's lead at 103-101 with four seconds left. Lovings-Watts got the ball on the run and drove the lane for the game-tying shot, but it rolled off the rim.
Union was led by Ringo with 25 points and 15 rebounds. Lovings-Watts added 22 points, Devaki Garr scored 17 points, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range, and Jamiir Allen with 16 points. Union shot 52 percent from the field, 41 percent (9-22) from long range, and 83 percent (20-24) from the free throw line.
Valdosta State was led by Mills with 27 points and 11 rebounds. McKey added 21 points, Brown 20, and Wallace 16. The Blazers shot 51 percent from the field, 30 percent (6-20) from long range, and 68 percent (13-19) from the foul line.
Up next for the Bulldogs will be another home game, Saturday, January 10, at 4 p.m., versus West Florida.
-UNION-
