Union Men’s Basketball Bounces Back, Tops Milligan at Robsion Arena

BARBOURVILLE, Ky. – The Union Commonwealth University men's basketball team (7-11, 5-4 AAC) snapped a four-game skid with a 79–71 victory over Milligan (4-12, 2-6 AAC) on Wednesday night at Robsion Arena.

Sophomore guard Jabari Covington led the Bulldogs with 23 points, shooting 10-of-18 from the field and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc while adding a team-high nine assists.

Senior forward Dallas Rufus finished with 13 points, sophomore forward Jamarion Gaines added 11, and senior guard Kenton Wright rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Half: Union Commonwealth 39, Milligan 33
Covington put the Bulldogs on the board first with an early jump shot, but both teams answered each basket to keep the game close in the opening minutes.

With 8:46 remaining in the half, Union began to take control with an 11–0 run to extend its lead to 28–18. The teams traded scores for the remainder of the period, and Milligan trimmed the deficit with a three-pointer in the closing seconds before halftime to make it 39–33.

Second Half: Union Commonwealth 79, Milligan 71
Milligan scored first out of halftime to cut the deficit to five, but Union refused to let the momentum swing, pushing the lead back to 10 at 48–38 with 15:26 remaining.

The Buffalos answered with a 9–2 run to make it a three-point game at 50–47 with 12:26 left, but the Bulldogs responded with a decisive 14–5 surge to extend the advantage to 64–52.

Union took its largest lead of the night at 70–56 with 5:36 remaining. Milligan trimmed the margin late, but the Bulldogs closed out the game for the 79–71 victory.

To see the Baymont Inn Player of the Game, click here.

UP NEXT

The Bulldogs return to Robsion Arena on Saturday, Jan. 10, to take on CIU. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m.