OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE OF UNION COLLEGE BULLDOGS
Men’s Basketball | Wed, Feb. 12, 2020 at 10:50 PMShareBOX SCORERECAP
BARBOURVILLE, Ky. – No. 25 Union College men’s basketball got the pick-me-up it needed Wednesday as the Bulldogs held off the visiting Cavaliers of Montreat College (N.C.) 86-83 in Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) play.
The win improves Union to 18-9 overall and 15-6 in the AAC, while Montreat falls to 20-6 overall and 15-6 in conference play.
While both share identical conference records, Union owns the tiebreaker having swept the season series. Both teams have three conference games remaining with the regular-season finales set for Saturday, Feb. 22.
BACK-AND-FORTH AFFAIR
With first-place in the league on the line, a heavyweight bout was expected.
And a heavyweight bout was delivered.
The lead changed hands 16 times – 12 times in the first half alone, and the score was knotted on seven occasions. Neither team ever amassed a double-digit lead with Union’s largest lead being eight and Montreat’s three.
The Bulldogs led for much of the second half, but the tension was cracked up a notch when the Cavaliers went on a 6-1 spurt to grab a 78-77 lead with 3:21 to play. Richard Brown and Shylier Ringgold answered with buckets in the paint, putting Union back on top at 81-78 with 2:12 remaining.
Union never trailed again from that point on. Montreat cut the margin to one twice more, but a Ringgold basket and a Brown free throw gave Union an 85-81 lead with 13 seconds left to tick off.
Terrell Sheffey scored a quick bucket to make it a two-point game, and Isiah Knight hit 1-of-2 at the line for an 86-83 edge with seven seconds to go. Montreat got a 3-point attempt off at the buzzer, but it fell short, securing Union’s three-point victory.
BULLDOG OF THE GAME
Markelle Turner came off the bench and provided a season-high 21 points. He went 7-of-10 from the floor, including hitting 4-of-5 from 3-point range. The four 3-pointers are also a season-high.
Turner also helped out with five assists, two rebounds, and one steal.
BULLDOG NOTES
- Brown recorded his seventh double-double of the season, collecting 15 points and 13 rebounds.
- Ringgold and Jakobe Wharton also scored in double figures, netting 17 and 11 points, respectively.
- Austin Cummins dished out five assists to give him 85 on the season.
- Union has won its last four meetings against Montreat and the 16 of the last 17 games.
- The previous meeting this season was also decided by three points, 88-85 at Montreat.
NEXT FOR THE BULLDOGS
Union hits the road for its final three regular-season games, starting at Milligan College (Tenn.) on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m.
83(RV)Montreat
86(25)UnionLocation: Barbourville, Ky.
Stats Overview
| FINAL – MEN’S BASKETBALL | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montreat (N.C.) 20-6, 15-6 AAC | 43 | 40 | 83 |
| Union (Ky.) 18-9, 15-6 AAC | 44 | 42 | 86 |
| Feb. 12, 2020 | |||
| Barbourville, KY |
| MONTREAT (N.C.) | INDV. LEADERS | UNION (KY.) |
|---|---|---|
| #22 Austin Butler – 22 | Points | #21 Markelle Turner – 21 |
| #35 JaJa Davis – 11 | Rebounds | #22 Richard Brown – 13 |
| #12 Terrell Sheffey – 5 | Assists | 2 Players (#12,#21) – 5 |
| MONTREAT (N.C.) | TEAM STATISTICS | UNION (KY.) |
|---|---|---|
| 40.5% (30 – 74) | Field Goals % | 43.1% (28 – 65) |
| 29.6% (8 – 27) | 3 Point Field Goals % | 39.1% (9 – 23) |
| 68.2% (15 – 22) | Free Throws | 67.7% (21 – 31) |
| 47 | Rebounds | 46 |
| 9 | Assists | 16 |
| 15 | Turnovers | 12 |
| 18 | 2nd Chance Pts | 14 |
