Box Score RICHMOND, Va. – The Lincoln University men's basketball team couldn't rally from as many as 15 down in the second half as the Lions fell to Virginia Union, 87-76, on Saturday night in a CIAA Northern Division showdown at Barco-Stevens Hall.
 
Derrick Washington (Washington, DC/Coolidge SHS) led five Lincoln players in double figures with 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Denzel Mooney (Baltimore, Md./Western School of Technology) added 16 points, while Kenny Sharpe (Chester, Pa./Elite Academy) scored 13 points and pulled down six rebounds. Jai Kellman (Brooklyn, N.Y./George Westinghouse HS) and George Jackson (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor HS) had 10 points each as the Lions (11-15 overall, 6-9 CIAA, 4-5 CIAA Northern) shot 40 percent (24-of-60) from the floor.
 
Lincoln opened the game on a 20-11 run, capped by a three-point play by Justin Jackson (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor HS) with 10:51 remaining in the opening half. However, Virginia Union (15-11, 10-4, 7-1) answered and closed out the first half on a 24-11 run to take a 35-31 advantage into the break.
 
Damion Harris led the Panthers with 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Juan Wilson and James Theus had 15 and 11 points, respectively. Wesley Simmons and Calvin Brown each had 10 points as Virginia Union was 36-of-66 from the field for 55 percent.
 
Lincoln cut the deficit to 45-44 after a pair of free throws by Sharpe with 13:29 left, but the Panthers used a 15-6 run during the next five minutes, capped by a Jamaal Blalock jumper with 8:19 remaining to give Virginia Union a 60-50 lead.
 
The Lions closed the gap to 78-71 with 56 seconds, but couldn't get any closer.
 
The Lions close out CIAA Northern Division play 7:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 20 at Virginia State University.