HIGHLIGHTS
HUNTSVILLE | Troy Saxton completed an old-fashioned 3-point play with 15.8 seconds remaining in the contest to help his team erase a nine-point deficit while lifting the UAH men's basketball team to a 75-74 victory over visiting Union on Saturday evening at Kelly Court at Spragins Hall.
 
Union (18-9, 12-9 GSC) led 72-63 with 3:35 left in the contest, but the Chargers (20-7, 15-6 GSC) applied tremendous defensive pressure, forcing four turnovers while going on a 12-2 run to close the contest on a 12-2 run that was punctuated by Saxton's layup and subsequent free throw.
 
UAH is now guaranteed a home game as one of the top four seeds on Super Tuesday in the opening round of the 2015 Gulf South Conference Championships, and the Chargers kept pace with West Alabama on top of the GSC standings.
 
Ronnie Mack on his Senior Day led the Chargers with 20 points, while junior Greg Gardner was also superb as he scored 16 points to go along with nine rebounds and eight assists. Saxton joined those two in double figures, finishing the contest with 10.
 
Corieon Pearson paced Union with 30 points, hitting six of the 16 3-pointers that the Bulldogs made on the day.
 
The visitors led by as many as eight in the first half, opening up a 23-15 advantage at the 8:47 mark of the period, but the Chargers ripped off a 21-10 run over the remainder of the opening 20 minutes to go into the locker room up 36-33.
 
Pearson scored the first five points out of the break, however, to put Union back in front, and the Bulldogs would hold a 51-46 lead at the 14:09 mark before UAH responded again, scoring nine straight points to go ahead 55-51 after Kip Owens scored four in 30 seconds to cap off the run at the 11:19 mark.
 
Setting up the dramatic finish, Union then went 8-for-10 from the floor in the next 7:44 to build up the 72-63 advantage that the Chargers would erase en route to the victory.
 
After shooting 60.0 percent in the second half, Union finished the game outshooting the Chargers by a 48.1 percent to 36.4 percent margin, but the Chargers held the advantage on the glass with 39 rebounds to Union's 30.
 
Justin Ward grabbed 11 boards, while Preston Herring also recorded double figures with 10.
 
The Chargers now have a chance to earn the GSC regular season title next week when they travel to North Alabama on Saturday. Tip-off in Florence is slated for 3 p.m.