VALDOSTA, Ga. – On Thursday night, the No. 12/20 Union University women’s basketball team won 72-63 against Valdosta State University to bring their GSC record so far this season to 8-0 (13-2 overall). As a result of the loss, Valdosta State drops to 4-4 GSC (9-5 overall).
Emily Jones, Jeremia Montgomery, and Macey Lee all scored double digits for the Lady Bulldogs in the game with 16, 10, and 10, respectively. Nine of Jones’s points and five of Lee’s came in the fourth quarter in which Union outscored Valdosta State 25-19. In this period, the Lady Bulldogs did their best shooting of the game from the field (8-15).
The contest remained close throughout and featured five lead changes, two ties, and 20 turnovers. Union’s largest lead came with 36 seconds left in the final period when they went up 72-59 courtesy of two free throw makes from Jones. Valdosta State’s biggest advantage was 25-19 with 6:19 seconds in the second quarter.
Shylee Morrison led the team in minutes played with 27 and steals with four, making it her third straight game with four steals. Macey Lee, Morrison, Jones, and Montgomery grabbed five rebounds apiece, a season high for Morrison. Courtney Zensen put up Union’s only block, while Alexis Callins, Olivia Lee, and Macey Lee each dished out two assists .
The game was a complete team effort for Union with nine of the 10 Lady Bulldogs who played scoring at least three points. Overall, Union shot 47.3 percent (26-55) from the field, 33.3 percent (8-24) from beyond the arc, and 70.6 percent (12-17) from the free throw line.
Kiersten Nelson led the Blazers by going 10-11 from the field and 5-6 from the foul line on her way to a 25 point night. As a team, Valdosta State shot 47.3 percent (26-55) from the field, 25 percent (4-16) from three-point range, and 77.8 percent (7-9) from the free throw line.
Up next, Union will travel to Pensacola, Fla., to face the University of West Florida in a big GSC matchup. West Florida sits right behind Union in the GSC standings and sports a 7-1 record in conference play. Tipoff is scheduled for Jan. 11 at 2:00 p.m.
