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Mike Davis
Trent Spruell | Trent S. Photography
59
Union (TN) UU 17-8 (11-6 GSC)
76
Winner West Alabama UWA 19-6 (12-5 GSC)
Union (TN) UU
17-8 (11-6 GSC)
59
Final
76
West Alabama UWA
19-6 (12-5 GSC)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Union (TN) UU 26 33 59
West Alabama UWA 33 43 76

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Tigers Earn Decisive Win over Union, Clinch GSC Tourney Berth

LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The University of West Alabama men's basketball team led wire-to-wire on the way to a 76-59 win over the Union Bulldogs Saturday night in Gulf South Conference action in Pruitt Hall Gymnasium. 
 
UWA improved to 19-6 overall, 12-5 in the conference and clinched a berth in the GSC Championship Tournament with the win. Union fell to 17-8 on the season, 11-6 in the league and thanks to a loss by Christian Brothers also clinched a GSC Tournament spot.
 
"Union is tough to play against. When you don't have much time to prepare, that's when all you've done thus far, the habits you've built and the defensive schemes come into play," said Head coach Allen Sharpe. "They live by the three. The magic number was seven and if they got more than that the score was going to get too high."
 
Union ended the game 24 percent (6-of-25) from three with over half the shots being from behind the line. The team went 31.3 percent (15-of-48) from the floor for the game and 95.8 percent (23-of-24) in free throws.
 
"The guys were into it. It was obvious we needed to guard the three, we did a good job of that tonight and it gave us a chance to win."
 
Mike Davis led the way with 20 points, five rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal. 
 
"It's kind of been by committee on the year for the most part," said Sharpe. "We don't win that game Thursday night if Chris Dudley doesn't play. It's been like that here and there with different guys stepping up when we needed to. It's been all nine and ten effort offensively."
 
Sharpe continued, "We're making a point we're going to pound the ball inside to Ricky (Dunnaway) and Mike. Our strength is inside with those two guys."
 
Dunnaway went for 12 points, four rebounds and three blocks. Justin Allison put up 12 points along with three assists and two rebounds. LaJuan Hardy led on the boards with six rebounds along with eight points, four assists and a pair of steals.
 
UWA went 50.9 percent from the floor (29-of-57), 24.1 percent (8-of-19) from three and 83.3 percent (10-of-12) from the line.
 
Tyree Boykin led Union with 18 points and Bryson Butler scored 11.
 
The win for West Alabama marked the third consecutive year the team will finish with at least 19 wins which is unprecedented in program history. From the 1980-81 season to the 1982-83 season, the Tigers won at least 18-games. One more win would give UWA back to back 20-win seasons for the first time ever. 

The team will have its first crack at history on Feb. 20 in Carrollton, Georgia against the University of West Georgia Wolves. UWG (6-18, 4-12) took an 87-76 loss to Alabama Huntsville at home. 
 
Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. central with the game being broadcast on ESPN 104.9.
 
 
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