Union Battles Late, Defeats Johnson on the Road

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Union Commonwealth University men's basketball team (5-8, 4-3 AAC) defeated Johnson (4-8, 4-2 AAC) Saturday night at Douglas E. Karnes Arena, 80-77.

Redshirt junior guard Drew Rhodes led the Bulldogs with a team-high 18 points, shooting 5-of-8 from the field and 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.

Redshirt junior forward Kaleb Hedgepeth followed with 15 points, connecting on all three of his 3-point attempts. Sophomore guard Jabari Covington and junior forward Devin Dunn added 14 points apiece, while senior forward Dallas Rufus rounded out the double-figure scorers with 11. Junior center Ali Sakho led Union on the glass with nine rebounds.

How It Happened

First Half: Union Commonwealth 38, Johnson 34

The teams traded baskets through the opening 10 minutes before Johnson grabbed a 17-16 lead. The Royals extended their advantage with a 13-6 run to make it 30-22 with 6:56 remaining in the half.

Union responded with a 12-0 run to regain the lead at 34-30 with 4:11 left. Both teams scored four points apiece to close the half, sending the Bulldogs into the break with a 38-34 advantage.

Second Half: Union Commonwealth 80, Johnson 77

Union opened the second half by outscoring Johnson 16-11, capped by a 3-pointer from Rufus, to build its largest lead of the night at 54-45 with 14:44 remaining.

Johnson answered with an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to one, 54-53, with 13:13 left. The Bulldogs pushed the lead back to seven at 62-55 just past the 10-minute mark, but the Royals again responded with a 6-0 run to make it 62-61.

Johnson retook the lead at 66-65 with 5:34 remaining following a 3-pointer. Rhodes put Union back in front for good with a go-ahead 3-pointer at the 1:32 mark, making it 75-74. The Bulldogs closed out the final possessions to secure the 80-77 victory.

UP NEXT

The Bulldogs return home to Robsion Arena on Tuesday, Dec. 16 to take on Alice Lloyd at Noon.