STAFF REPORT
WCLU Sports
Former Caverna Colonel Drew Rhodes buried a jumper with six seconds left in overtime. The basket proved to be a winner for Union Commonwealth on Senior Night.
Before the game, Union recognized seniors Rhodes, Kam O’Connor, Kenton Wright, Dallas Rufus, Kaleb Hedgepeth.
Union leaned on a balanced attack and a big night in the paint. According to the team’s game recap, Ali Sakho led the Bulldogs with a double-double, going 7-of-10 from the field and finishing with 15 points and 15 rebounds. O’Connor followed with 14 points, hitting 50 percent of his 3-point attempts, while Rufus added 13 points and Hedgepeth rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10. T
The teams traded baskets, with Union building a 27-20 lead with about seven and a half minutes left before halftime. A dunk by Hedgepeth helped the Bulldogs stay in front 32-26, but Truett McConnell responded with a 10-0 run to grab a 36-32 edge. The Bears carried a 39-38 lead into the break after a series of late 3-pointers from both sides.
Union opened the second half by scoring the first basket, but Truett McConnell stayed close and eventually took a 52-49 lead with just over 12 minutes remaining in regulation. A defensive stop led to a game-tying 3-pointer from O’Connor, and after another brief Bears run, back-to-back Union 3-pointers put the Bulldogs ahead 58-56.
Union appeared to be in control up 62-57 with 4:38 to play, but Truett McConnell answered with an 8-1 run to move in front 65-62. Union tied it at 65-65, and neither team scored again in regulation, sending the game to overtime. In the extra period, the teams traded baskets until the score was even at 75-75 with 29 seconds left.
That set the stage for Rhodes, who knocked down a long jumper just inside the arc to put Union up 77-75 with six seconds remaining. On the final possession, Truett McConnell had a chance to force additional overtime, but a layup attempt at the buzzer was blocked, sealing the Bulldogs’ win on their home floor.
The victory moves Union to 13-15 overall and 11-8 in Appalachian Athletic Conference play, while Truett McConnell falls to 12-15 and 9-10 in the league. The Bulldogs open Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament action Thursday against Columbia (S.C.) at 8:30 a.m. eastern time in Kingsport, Tenn.
James Brown for WCLU Sports contributed to this story.
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