photo courtesy of Steve Johnson on pexels.com
The Auburn University at Montgomery men’s basketball team couldn’t top off homecoming week as the Union University Bulldogs would spoil the party 71-64.
The Warhawks men entered the big homecoming game having won their last two and looked to top off AUM’s big week with an addition to the win streak, but they came up just a bit short.
The game got out of the gate with both teams trading blows with 11 points each at the first break. AUM Guards Omar Zeigler and Marius Canery each hit a three-pointer within the first five minutes of the game.
AUM forward Elhadji Thiam had six points on three field goals made with 8:34 left in the first half. He would finish the game 6-8 for 12 points.
The game went cold for a minute between the 6:32 and 5:32 marks with both teams trading missed three pointers and some good defense as Doyle had an aggressive block on a lay up attempt by Union forward Casey Williams.
The Warhawks fell into a big hole down the stretch to halftime, missing 12 straight shots over a five-minute span to go down 38-29.
AUM did manage to score the final three points of the half to trail 38-32 at the half.
The early story was the field goal percentage. AUM shot only 36.4% from the field and 29.4% from three-point range in the half while Union hit 48.3% and 45.5% respectively.
The Bulldogs also out rebounded AUM 22-17 as well as leading the Warhawks in turnovers five to two.
It sounds rough for AUM, but the time leading wasn’t that different. AUM led for 8:12 to Union’s 8:33 which should imply that the game was closer than it was up to this point.
Most of AUM’s time leading was early while Union held the lead most of the second half of the first half thanks to outscoring AUM 8-3 final five minutes of the half.
The second half scoring didn’t start until about 3:40 into the half when both Union and AUM hit two pointers. That two-pointer was the only scoring by AUM in the first five minutes of the half versus Union’s nine as the Warhawks fell down 47-34 with 14:30 to play.
AUM finally got a second bucket on a goal tending call by Thiam, putting him at eight points on the game up to that point.
AUM guard Devin Barksdale hit the first Warhawk three-point shot since 13:17 in the first half. He’s hit another on the next possession. He would end his night with 11 points on just four field goals made.
Warhawks forward Ti’Avian Scruggs would hit his first three of the game at 10:16 break to cut Union’s lead down to 54-48. AUM would go on an 8-0 run over the next 3:20 to make the game a three-point game.
Thiam would make it a two-point game before both teams traded three-pointers. Union’s Terrence Ringo Jr. hit his second three in two possessions to help Union stretch the lead back to seven with 3:32 left in the game, hurting AUM’s comeback attempt.
The 14-point mountain that Union built earlier in the game proved to be too high a mountain for AUM to climb over as the Bulldogs would take it 71-64.
Canery only hit five shots all game but he finished with the Warhawks lead for 15 on the night. Union’s guard Mason McBride would total 22 points with six baskets and three made three-pointers.
Union made the shots that AUM could not and it can be seen in the numbers.
AUM took nine more shots but made three less. Union finished with a 44.8 field goal percentage to AUM’s 34.3%.
AUM did make more threes, but it wasn’t enough as Union did outshoot the Warhawks from three-point range 42.9% to 28.6%.
Union made the shots that AUM could not.
Even though the Warhawks lost, they’ve shown some fight over the last few games. Head coach Joe Brooks said that it’s because they’ve stayed focused saying that they’ve been wanting to win more than earlier in the season.
“Things were difficult and they’ve just bounced back from that and now they’re locked in a playing a lot better, especially on the defensive end.”
The Warhawks will look to rebound against Trevecca Nazarene at home on Wednesday.
