Royals Fall in Tight Battle with Union Commonwealth

The Royals battled to the final buzzer but came up just short in an 80–77 loss to Union Commonwealth on Saturday afternoon at Douglas E. Karnes Arena.

The Royals trailed 38–34 at halftime before responding with a strong second half, outscoring Union Commonwealth 43–42 over the final 20 minutes. Despite the rally, Johnson was unable to overcome a late push by the visitors.

Mason Lockhart led the Royals with 19 points and a team-high 11 rebounds, finishing an efficient 7-of-8 from the field. Davon Cottle also poured in 19 points, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc, while Livingston Cross added 14 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double effort. Dallas Carbaugh provided a spark off the bench with 12 points.

Johnson shot 45.8 percent from the field and controlled the glass with 39 total rebounds, including 14 offensive boards, but struggled from three-point range, connecting on five of 28 attempts.

Union Commonwealth was led by Drew Rhodes, who scored a game-high 18 points off the bench, while Kaleb Hedgepeth added 15 points. The visitors finished the game shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range.

Johnson returns to action at home on December 17, hosting No. 5 Freed-Hardeman at Douglas E. Karnes Arena.