JACKSON, Tenn. – The Union University men’s basketball team won its fourth straight game with a 77-64 victory over the University of Montevallo Friday night at Fred DeLay Gymnasium/David Blackstock Court. Union improved to 7-4 overall and remained in a tie for first at 6-1 in the Gulf South Conference. Montevallo dropped to 5-7 on the season and 3-5 in league play.
Union scored the first six points of the game including a 3-pointer from Justin Debuck. Montevallo rallied to take its first lead at 10-9. The teams went back and forth for the remainder of the half, with neither team able to score consistently. Union’s Layne Sarver hit a 3-pointer with 32 seconds left in the first half to tie the game at 27-27. That scored stood at the break.
The second half opened with Union’s Tylandrius Parks scored on an alley-oop play on the first possession. Parks had another dunk on the next possession and Union took the early lead. Union continued to push and after back-to-back 3-pointers from Parks and Boe Nguidjol, Union had a 41-29 lead with 15:12 left in the game. Parks’ 16th point of the night gave Union a lead of 16 points, 52-36 with 11:20 left. Jalen Johnson’s first 3-pointer of the night with 8:28 left gave Union another 16-point lead, 57-41.
A 9-2 run by the Falcons cut the deficit back to single digits at 59-50 with 6:40 left. However, Parks scored back-to-back baskets to give Union a double-digit lead again and put the senior over the 20-point mark for the fifth time this season.
Union head coach David Niven said, “We called his (Parks) number in the second half and he answered the call. He is on a very good run and has been putting up big numbers lately.”
Parks was not finished as the senior hit a couple 3-pointers surrounding a jumper from Nguidjol to give Union its largest lead of the night, 73-54 with 2:25. Montevallo strung together four field goals on four straight possessions to cut the deficit to 11 points with 48 seconds left. Nguidjol added a late breakaway dung to win 77-64.
Union forced 16 turnovers, scoring 23 points off those turnovers. Union committed just 10 turnovers and Montevallo edged Union on the boards, 36-32.
Union was led by Parks with 26 points and Nguidjol with 20 points. Parks was 4-of-7 from 3-point range and grabbed seven rebounds with a team-high six assists. Nguidjol added a team high seven rebounds with five assists, three steals, and three blocks. Jeremiah Littlepage added 13 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. Union shot 53 percent from the field, including 67 percent in the second half. The Bulldogs shot 36 percent (9-25) from 3-point range and 31 percent (4-13) from the free throw line.
Montevallo was led by Bertolette with 21 points. McNeil added 17 and Moore scored 11. The Falcons shot 40 percent from the field, 24 percent (7-29) from long range, and 81 percent (13-16) from the foul line.
