JACKSON, Tenn --- The Montevallo men's basketball team hit a frigid stretch in the second half of their Gulf Tournament opening round game against No. 2 seeded Union that they wouldn't be able to survive. The result was a 79-62 loss that brought an end to the season at 13-16. Meanwhile, Union will move on to the tournament semifinals in Birmingham at Samford this weekend.

The loss overshadowed a solid night for by guard Braxton Bertolette, who led the Falcons with 21 points. He was 8-of-17 from the field, including 3-for-8 from 3-point range. He also had three steals and a blocked shot. James McNeil added 15 points and Xavier Malcom 12 points, all from long range.

Tylandrius Parks paced Union with 21 points, while Tyree Boykin and Boe Nguidjol each dropped in 18 points.

The Falcons led 42-39 at halftime. Both teams sizzled in the first half, shooting over 50% from the field. The Falcons hit 14-of-26 fieldgoals, including 6-of-13 from 3-point range, while Union knocked down 16-of-28 shots with 5-of-11 from downtown. Bertolette and McNeil were both in double-digits at the break with 14 and 11 points respectively.

In the first 11 minutes of the second half, the Falcons held on to the lead. A layup by Bertolette gave UM a 56-54 lead with 8:55 to go. Then, for the next four minutes, the Falcons went scoreless. It was the crack the Bulldogs needed to go on a devastating 14-0 run. When the smoke cleared, the Falcons found themselves trailing by double digits at 68-56 with 4:39 left in the game. UM would score only six points the rest of the game. Union wound up outscoring the Falcons 40-20 in the decisive second half.

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