Union Falls on the Road at Montreat

MONTREAT, N.C. – The Union Commonwealth University men's basketball team (6-11, 4-4 AAC) dropped another road contest Saturday night, falling 78-65 to Montreat (9-6, 5-3 AAC) at McAlister Gymnasium.

The two teams met earlier this season, when Union edged Montreat 82-81 following a late Cavaliers push.

Senior forward Dallas Rufus led the Bulldogs in scoring with 17 points, shooting 7-of-14 from the field. Redshirt junior forward Kaleb Hedgepeth followed with 16 points, while sophomore forward Jamarion Gaines rounded out the double-figure scorers with 13 points.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Half: Montreat 47, Union Commonwealth 36

Union struck first with a basket from Gaines to open the scoring, but Montreat answered with a 10-0 run to take a quick 10-2 lead. The Cavaliers extended the advantage to double digits at 17-7 with 13:51 remaining in the half.

Both teams traded baskets for much of the remainder of the half, but Montreat closed strong, building a 14-point lead in the final minute. Union trimmed the margin slightly before heading into the break trailing 47-36.

Second Half: Montreat 78, Union Commonwealth 65

The teams again exchanged baskets early in the second half, but Montreat pushed its lead to 15 at 55-40 with 15:41 remaining. The Cavaliers maintained a double-digit advantage the rest of the way and secured the 78-65 win.

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs return home for the first time in the new year to host Milligan on Wednesday, Jan. 7. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.