Union Men's Basketball Downs Bluefield on the Road

BLUEFIELD, Va. – The Union Commonwealth University men's basketball team (9-13, 7-6 AAC) earned an 86-70 conference road victory over Bluefield (3-17, 3-10 AAC) on Wednesday night at Dome Gymnasium.

Senior forward Dallas Rufus and sophomore forward Jamarion Gaines paced the Bulldogs with 17 points apiece. Rufus finished 8-of-15 from the field while adding three steals and a block, while Gaines went 6-of-10 and recorded two steals.

Junior center Ali Sakho posted a double-double with 12 points and a team-high 12 rebounds. Sophomore guard Jabari Covington and redshirt junior guard Drew Rhodes rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points each.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Half – Union Commonwealth 42, Bluefield 36

Rhodes opened the scoring with a steal and layup, igniting an 8-2 run for the Bulldogs. Union extended its lead to 18-8 before Bluefield answered to cut the deficit to six at 18-12. The Bulldogs responded with a 9-3 run to push the advantage to 27-15 with 8:44 remaining. Bluefield closed the half by outscoring Union 21-15, but the Bulldogs still carried a 42-36 lead into the break.

Second Half – Union Commonwealth 86, Bluefield 70

Redshirt junior Kaleb Hedgepeth set the tone early in the second half with a dunk to open the scoring, sparking a 7-0 run that stretched the Bulldogs' lead to 49-36. Union maintained a double-digit advantage for much of the half and led 66-56 with 10:00 remaining. The Bulldogs then pulled away even more with a decisive 15-5 run, capped by a three-point basket from redshirt freshman guard Julian Bunton, to take an 81-61 lead with 4:15 to play and finished out the game with a 86-70 victory.

UP NEXT

Union Commonwealth returns home to Robsion Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 28, to host Tennessee Wesleyan. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.