BARBOURVILLE, Ky. — Things got a little too close for comfort, but in the end, No. 14 Union College pulled out the 70-68 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) win over visiting Reinhardt on Thursday.

The Bulldogs up their record to 7-4 overall and 4-1 in league play, while the Eagles fall to 7-5 overall and 2-2 in the AAC.

Up 36-29 at the intermission, Union appeared to be in control of the game early on in the second half. Austin Cummins drained a 3-pointer to put the Bulldogs ahead 43-34 with 16:31 remaining. Reinhardt cut the margin to five, but a Dominique Lindsey floater in the line gave Union a 47-40 edge with 14:00 left to play.

The Eagles came with a vengeance, slicing the deficit to one twice before a Scot Hundt 3-pointer put them ahead 55-53 at 8:34 mark. The teams traded baskets over the next few minutes, as Reinhardt was able to take a 62-59 lead after a Melvin Irvin layup with 5:52 on the clock.

Robert Blunt hit a layup and tacked on two free throws to push Union up 63-62 with 4:46 remaining. Seth Cox slammed home a dunk to give the Bulldogs a 66-63 lead, but Corey Tobin buried a 3-pointers to pull the Eagles even at 66-all with 1:15 to go.

Kamall Richards hit 1-of-2 free throws to put Union in front, yet a Dwight Sanders bucket gave Reinhardt a 68-67 lead with 25 seconds to play. The Bulldogs answered quickly as Lance Blakely drove the lane and scored for a 69-68 edge.

Following a Reinhardt turnover, Richards was fouled with 4.2 seconds still on the clock. After missing the first, he sank the second for a two-point Bulldog lead. Sanders lofted a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer, but the shot banked off the glass and hit the rim and Union secured the rebound as time expired, sealing the 70-68 outcome.

Offensively, Cox paced Union with 16 points to go with his eight rebounds. Cummins added 15 points and four assists. Blakely hauled in a game-high 12 rebounds to go with his eight points, and Lindsey dished out nine assists and had seven points.

Irvin and Sanders led Reinhardt with 14 points apiece, and Hundt knocked in 12.

The Bulldogs managed to win the battle on the boards, outrebounding the Eagles 54-44. Reinhardt, though, scored 20 second-chance points off 18 offensive rebounds. Union netted only 13 points off 20 offensive boards.

Up Next

Union hits the road Saturday to face Truett McConnell in AAC action. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.