VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Union University women’s basketball team lost 84-70 to Eckerd (Florida) College Friday afternoon in the first round of the 2024 NCAA D2 Women’s Basketball National Championships. It marked the third time for Union to fall in the opening game of the regional tournament in the nine appearances. Union’s season ended with a 29-4 record.
Union, seeded No. 2 in the south region opened with 7-seed Eckerd. Eckerd has now won five straight games, including a remarkable run to win the Sunshine State Conference Tournament as the 4-seed.
This also marks the second straight year for Union’s season to end at the hands of Eckerd with a region semifinal loss in 2023 in Tampa, Fla.
Eckerd opened the game with a basket but after a 3-pointer from Lauren West at the 6:39 mark, Union led 5-3. The teams went back and forth for the remainder of the quarter with Union’s largest lead coming at 14-11. Union trailed 17-14 at the end of the quarter.
The run continued for Eckerd as they pushed the lead to 25-14. Union ended the 16-0 run for Eckerd with a three-pointer from Shylee Morrison. Union rallied back to tie the game at 32-32 and again at 36-36. Down 40-36 with just a few seconds left, Union’s Jazalyn Anousihn sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer from past mid-court to set the halftime score at 40-39.
Union was not able to take the lead and Eckerd pushed its lead back to 11 points in the third quarter, 57-46. Union cut the deficit to 59-53 at the end of three.
In the fourth, Union got as close as six points early, but it was Eckerd pushing to a 17-point lead, 79-62 before settling for the 84-70 win.
Union was led by Brooke Hampel and Emma Kallas with 11 points each. Macey Lee added nine points. Union shot 41 percent from the field, 33 percent (9-27) from 3-point range, and 86 percent (7-of-8) from the free throw line.
Eckerd was led by Martyna Kowalska with 32 points and 11 rebounds. Lauryn Vieira added 20 points and 14 assists. The Tritons shot 54 percent from the field, 53 percent (9-17) from long range, and 71 percent (15-21) from the free throw line.
