CLINTON, Miss. --- Mississippi College started off strong in Saturday evenings Gulf South Conference matchup with Union but ultimately fell to the Bulldogs by a final score of 81-68.
The Choctaws jumped out to a fast start in the first five minutes of action, taking an early six-point lead over the Bulldogs, 14-8, with 14:57 on the clock.
MC continued their six-point lead midway through the first half, leading 20-14, before Union went on a 10-0 run over the next three minutes to grab the 24-20 lead with 8:55 to go until the break.
Union controlled the final five minutes of the half, taking an eight-point advantage, 42-34, into the break.
The Bulldogs offense continued to shine in the second half, reaching a 25-point lead with 12 minutes left to go in the contest over MC.
The Choctaws offense finished strong down the stretch, trimming the lead back down to 11-points with a minute remaining in the ballgame.
Despite the strong start and strong finish at the end of the second half, the Bulldogs surge midway into the second half was not enough to overcome as MC fell by a final of 81-68.
MC had three scorers with double-digit points scored on the night with
Tradavis Thompson leading the way with 22, while
Trey Bates III and
Galen Smith each had 19 points.
Smith tallied a double-double in the loss, finishing with 11 rebounds along side his 19 points scored. He also had one block to lead the Choctaws.
Bates III finished with a strong outing offensively, 7-of-13 from the field and a team-best 5-of-8 from three-point territory. Thompson had two steals and three assists to cap off his night.
Miles Miller continued to dish the ball around, racking up five assists to lead MC, while also finishing with a team high five steals.
As a team, MC shot 27-of-60 from the floor while also totaling 30 points scored in the paint. With the loss, MC falls to 10-8 overall on the season and 6-8 in GSC play.
The Choctaws return to action on Thursday on the road where they will take on Valdosta State in a midweek GSC matchup. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. CST in Valdosta, Ga.
