Wallace State Men Fall 88–84 to Southern Union in Conference Battle

HANCEVILLE — Wallace State men's basketball came up just short Thursday night, dropping an 88–84 decision to Southern Union in a tightly contested conference matchup at home.

The Lions (10–9, 2–1 ACCC) struggled to find rhythm early and trailed 42–31 at halftime despite nine points apiece from Tony Wilson and Trey Knight. Southern Union controlled the tempo in the opening half, while Wallace State battled turnovers and second-chance opportunities.

Wallace State responded with a strong second half, outscoring the Bison 53–46 over the final 20 minutes and applying consistent pressure down the stretch. Jaeden Rush sparked the comeback with an aggressive offensive performance, scoring 20 of his game-high 22 points in the second half as the Lions repeatedly chipped away at the deficit.

Despite the rally, Wallace State was unable to fully close the gap in the final minutes and ultimately fell by four points.

The Lions finished with 18 assists on 27 made baskets and knocked down 11 three-pointers, while also forcing 19 turnovers, including 10 steals. However, Wallace State committed 22 turnovers of its own and was outrebounded 35–30, factors that proved costly in the close loss.

Rush led Wallace State with 22 points, six rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a block. Trey Knight followed with 18 points, five assists, three steals and three rebounds. Tyson Barrett added 15 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Wilson finished with nine points, two rebounds and an assist, while Sawyer Griffin chipped in eight points with an assist and a steal. Viczavious Madden and Devan Rush each scored five points, with Rush adding four rebounds, a steal and a block. Austin Davenport rounded out the scoring with two points, four rebounds and two steals.

Despite the setback, Wallace State showed resilience with its second-half response and remains firmly in the conference race as ACCC play continues.