Union men back in a tie for first in GSC with 61-54 win over Lee

JACKSON, Tenn. – The Union University men’s basketball team defeated Lee University 61-54 Saturday afternoon at Fred DeLay Gymnasium/David Blackstock Court. Union improved to 10-6 overall and 9-3 in the Gulf South Conference. Lee dropped to 10-3 on the season and 9-3 in league play.

Union head coach David Niven said, “The game is not going to flow very well when you have two teams that play great defense. It came down to half-court production. We got good production on some tough shots from several guys, including Jeremiah (Littlepage) and JT (Dubuck). It was also nice to see the big 3-pointer from freshman Layne Sarver late in the game that served as a back-breaker. I’m proud of how our guys battled offensively and on the boards.”

Union opened the game with a successful alley-oop from Jalen Johnson to Jeremiah Littlepage to put Union up 2-0. Union pushed out to a 5-1 lead before Lee rallied to lead 9-8 for the first time in the game. Union went right back on top with back-to-back 3-pointers from Justin Debuck and Tylandrius Parks to lead 14-11. Union held a slim lead for the remainder of the half and extended to a 30-24 halftime advantage, its largest of the first half.

In the second half, the game remained close and Lee chipped away. Trailing 36-35, Lee posted an 8-0 run including back-to-back 3-pointers to take its largest lead of the night, 41-36, with 12:18 left in the game. Union scored six straight to bounce right back into the lead. Then it was Lee’s turn to lead again, 44-42 following another 3-pointer.

Union scored seven straight points capped by a three-pointer from Layne Sarver to lead 49-44 with 7:01 left in the game. Lee tied the game one more time at 49-49 with 5:52 left, but Union got a layup and two free throws on back-to-back possessions from Boe Nguidjol to lead 53-49.

Union extended its lead to six 57-51, matching its largest lead with just over a minute left. Union was 4-for-4 from the free throws line in the final 26 seconds to push its lead to 10 points, the largest of the night for either team. A Lee 3-pointer at the buzzer set the final at 61-54.

Union dominated the boards 43-27, while both teams were in single digits in turnovers. Union’s defense held Lee to just 34 percent shooting in the game, well below their 50 percent average entering the game.

Union was led by Nguidjol with 17 points and 13 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season. Littlepage and Parks both added 13 points each, while Debuck added 12 points. Union shot 40 percent from the field, 24 percent (5-21) from 3-point range, and 71 percent (10-14) from the foul line.

Lee was led by Willingham with 15 points and Hendricks with 12. The Flames shot 34 percent from the field, 28 percent (8-29) from long range, and 73 percent (8-11) from the free throw line.

Up next for Union is a GSC road trip to Delta State January 12 and Mississippi College January 14. Listen locally on 93.1 FM or online at www.uuathletics.com/coverage.

Union women’s basketball falls to Lee in overtime 72-68 in matchup of ranked teams

JACKSON, Tenn. – The Union University women’s basketball team fell 72-68 in overtime to Lee University Saturday afternoon at Fred DeLay Gymnasium/David Blackstock Court. Union, ranked No. 20 in the WBCA Coaches’ Poll, dropped to 11-3 overall and 9-3 in the Gulf South Conference. Lee, ranked No. 16 in the D2SIDA Media Poll, improved to 14-2 on the season and 12-0 in league play.

Not only was it a matchup of two ranked nationally ranked teams and a matchup of the previous two GSC Title games (Union winning both of those), but it was also a matchup of two of the top coaches in college basketball. Union head coach Mark Campell remained at 697 career wins, while Lee head coach Marty Rowe now has 608 career wins. Combined, the two coaches have a combined 1,305 career wins. Both coaches ranked in the top 10 among active D2 coaches in wins and winning percentage.

Lee led 30-24 and pushed out to its largest lead of 16 points, 49-33, with 2:44 left in the third. Union proved it was not going away. Union went on an 8-0 run and outscored Lee 8-2 to close the quarter, cutting the deficit to 51-41.

To open the fourth quarter with a three-pointer, seeming to regain control. Union scored eight straight to cut the deficit to 54-49, but again, Lee extended its lead back to nine points, 58-49, with 5:14 left.

Union then stormed all the way back with nine straight points to tie the game at 58-58 with 1:18 left. Lee took the lead with a couple of free throws, followed by a layup from Union’s Samariah Thompson to tie the game again at 60-60 with 25 seconds left. Lee had the ball for a last shot, but a turnover ended the possession. Union has a final chance with one second but did not get a shot off.

In overtime was made up of two runs. Union had the first run, an 8-0 start to the period including a 3-pointer from Lauren West. Union led 68-60 with 3:45 left. However, Lee closed the overtime with a 12-0 run to win 72-68.

Lee outrebounded Union 40-31, including 11-7 offensively. Turnovers were plenteous, but even, with 18 for Lee and 17 for Union.

Union was led by Shanique Lucas with 2 2points and nine rebounds. Thompson added 12 points and West scored 10 points. Union shot 41 percent from the field, 29 percent (7-24) from the 3-point line, and 72 percent (13-18) from the free-throw line. Union was just 1-10 from 3-point range in the first half.

Lee was led by 27 points while Macy Woodworth added 10 points. The Lady Flames shot 44 percent from the field, 32 percent (6-19) from long range, and 71 percent (12-17) from the free throw line.

Up next for Union is a GSC road trip to Mississippi, playing at Delta State January 12 and Mississippi College January 14. Listen locally on 93.1 FM or online at www.uuathletics.com/coverage.