LAURINBURG — The St. Andrews University men’s basketball team played with the defending NAIA national champs for a half Saturday but No. 24 Union College (Ky.) Bulldogs were too much as the Knights fell 77-58.
Union started out hot jumping to a 17-2 first half lead before the Knights went on a 33-15 run to end the half and lead 35-32 at the break.
St. Andrews shot 32 percent but 87 percent from the line as they went 20-of-23. The Knights held Union to just 32 points and 39 percent shooting. Union got into foul trouble in the first half, committing 24 total fouls.
Union went on a 7-0 run to start the second half to snag the lead back and never relinquished outscoring St. Andrews 45-23 for the half. The Knights never quite get into their offensive rhythm in the second half shooting just 24 percent and went 2-of-16 from three.
St. Andrews outrebounded the Bulldogs 41-40 while forcing 13 turnovers. The Knights shot 28-of-36 from the free-throw line for the game while committing 21 turnovers.
The Knights had two players in doubles led by freshman forward Darius Huff’s 13 points with seven rebounds, five assists and a block. Junior point guard Christian Lathan added 11 points, with a rebound and three assists as he was 9-of-11 from the free-throw line.
Senior guard Ben Twigger tallied eight points and eight rebounds with an assist and steal while junior guard Andrew Rodriguez added six points with an assist, a rebound, a block and a steal.
Freshman forward Jean Calvin Ahoume had eight points and six rebounds with a block. Junior forward Jeremias Easterling chipped in six points with five rebounds.
St. Andrews falls to 3-11 overall and 3-10 in the AAC while No. 24 Union moves to 13-7 with their third straight win and 10-3 in the conference.
The Knights returned to the road on Monday to face NAIA foe Morris College (1-9) in Sumter, S.C.