Union Men’s Basketball Dominates Columbia on the Road

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Union Commonwealth University men's basketball team (11-14, 9-7 AAC) earned a 79-51 road victory over Columbia (12-14, 9-8 AAC) on Saturday night at Godbold Center.

Dallas Rufus led four Bulldogs in double figures with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. Kaleb Hedgepeth followed with 16 points, connecting on 6 of 7 attempts. Jabari Covington added 12 points, while Drew Rhodes finished with 11.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Half – Union Commonwealth 42, Columbia 30

Union opened the contest on an 8-3 run, highlighted by a Hedgepeth 3-pointer. Columbia answered to briefly exchange leads before the Bulldogs pulled ahead, 10-9.

Union used a 9-2 spurt to extend the margin to 19-12 with 11:46 remaining in the half. The Koalas responded with a 6-0 run to trim the deficit to 19-18.

The Bulldogs closed the half on a 23-12 run to take a 42-30 lead into the locker room.

Second Half – Union Commonwealth 79, Columbia 51

Union controlled the opening 10 minutes of the second half, stretching the lead to 66-39. The Bulldogs maintained their advantage down the stretch, outscoring Columbia 13-12 over the final stretch to secure the 79-51 win.

UP NEXT

The Bulldogs return home Monday, Feb. 16, to open a three-game homestand at Robsion Arena against Johnson. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.