Union Men’s Basketball Late Offensive Push Falls Short Against CIU

BARBOURVILLE, Ky. – The Union Commonwealth University men's basketball team (7-12, 5-5 AAC) dropped its home contest to CIU (11-7, 6-4 AAC), 83-75, Saturday night at Robsion Arena.

Senior forward Dallas Rufus led the Bulldogs in scoring with 18 points. Junior center Ali Sakho followed with 15 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore forward Jamarion Gaines added 12 points, while sophomore guard Jabari Covington chipped in 11. Redshirt junior forward Kaleb Hedgpeth rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Half: Columbia International 43, Union Commonwealth 35

CIU opened the game on a 7-2 run, using aggressive defense to limit Union's early scoring opportunities. As the half progressed, the Bulldogs settled in offensively and trimmed the Rams' lead to one, 14-13. CIU answered with a 7-0 run to push the margin back to eight at 21-13. Both teams traded baskets for the remainder of the half, and Union went into the break trailing 43-35.

Second Half: Columbia International 83, Union Commonwealth 75

The teams mirrored the end of the first half to open the second, trading made shots on both ends of the floor. With 9:56 remaining, CIU extended its lead to 15, 63-48, and maintained control as the margin grew to 70-55. Union responded with an 11-0 run late, cutting the deficit to four at 70-66 with 3:31 left. The Bulldogs were unable to close the gap further, however, as the Rams pulled away down the stretch to secure the 83-75 win.

To check out the Baymont Inn Player of the Game, click here.

UP NEXT

The Bulldogs will travel to Waleska, Ga., on Wednesday, Jan. 14, to take on Reinhardt. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.