Box Score JACKSON, Tenn. – The Spring Hill College (SHC) men's basketball team opened the 2016 regular season with a 66-53 non-conference loss at Union University in the opening game of the GSC/SIAC Challenge in Fred DeLay Gymnasium.
 
In the first five minutes of play, the Union Bulldogs (1-0) used the 3-point shot while SHC relied on strong inside play and layups as the teams fought to a 10-9 Badger advantage at the first media time out. Coming out of the time out, Union launched a six-point run to take a 15-10 lead at the 12 minute mark of the first half and then drained two 3-point buckets to build out a 21-10 cushion just one minute later.
 
Union continued to drain 3-pointers and stretched out a 34-22 with 3:30 left to play in the first period and held a 37-26 lead at the intermission.
 
In the second half, Union would stretch out to as much as a 21-point lead at 58-37 with 10:20 remaining on the clock, but SHC rallied to make it a 10-point contest at 58-48 with 3:45 to go. Two late 3-point buckets by the Bulldogs would seal the fate of the Badgers as they could pull no closer.
 
SHC shot 38% (19-50) overall and just 12.5% (1-8) from behind the arc while out-rebounding the Bulldogs 37-27. The Badgers hurt themselves with 18 turnovers against eight steals by Union while the Bulldogs lost 14 turnovers to one Badger steal. Union made 45.7% (21-46) of their shots with 41.2% (14-34) of their 3-point attempts finding their mark.
 
Junior Walter Massey scored 15 points with 10 rebounds for SHC while Jarad Scott, Ashanti Day, Bennet Fuzak and Alex Keel scored 10 points each for Union.
 
The Badgers (0-1) will remain in Jackson to finish play in the GSC/SIAC Challenge with a non-conference 2 p.m. match up with the Shorter University Hawks (1-0) in Fred DeLay Gymnasium.