CLEVELAND, Tenn. – The Union University women’s basketball team posted a 66-62 win at Lee University to close out the regular season Saturday afternoon. Union improved to 26-3 on the season and 21-1 in the Gulf South Conference. Lee dropped to 23-5 overall and 17-5 in league play.
The win avenged Union’s only GSC loss of the year, a 84-81 overtime home loss back on January 16.
The 21 league wins ties its own GSC win total from 2023, good for third place in GSC history. Union had 22 GSC wins in 2024 but finished second to VSU’s 23 league wins. Union has posted 20-plus GSC wins in a regular season four times now, more than any other GSC team in history.
Union also won its 10th GSC Regular Season Championship this year and its 37th regular season conference title in program history.
Union head coach Mark Campbell had this to say about the win and next week’s GSC Tournament, saying “I have so much respect for Lee’s program and Marty Rowe. Today was a great road win during a hard week for our team. We got better this week in some areas that will be necessary down the road. I am very proud of our team and their ability to focus! We are excited about the opportunity to move into tournament play.”
In the game, Union scored first, but it was Lee scoring nine straight points to lead 9-2 early. Union rallied back to lead 18-15 at the end of the quarter and never trailed again. A 9-0 run for Union, built by three pointers from Emily Jones, Jazalyn Anaousinh, and Olivia Lee, put Union on top.
In the second quarter, Union held a slim lead until Lee tied the game at 27-27 with just 21 seconds left in the half. Union’s Shylee Morrison then sank two free throws with two seconds left to give Union the 29-27 lead at the half.
In the third quarter, Union controlled the play. The Lady Bulldogs pushed their lead to 10 points three different times before taking a 13-point lead, 52-39, with 1:20 left on a 3-pointer from Macey Lee. Union led 54-43 at the end of three quarter.
Union matched its largest lead of the night at 13 points, 56-43, with 9:33 left to play. However, Lee chipped away and, with 2:04 left in the game, had cut the Union lead to just two points, 62-60. After two Union free throws, Lee again cut the deficit to two points, 64-62, with 15 seconds left. Union made two free throws late and forced Lee into a couple of misses and escaped with the 66-62 win.
Union was led by Olivia Lee with 17 points. Anousinh, Macey Lee, and Morrison each added 10 points in the win. Union shot 35 percent from the field, 32 percent (13-41) from 3-point range, and 70 percent (7-10) from the free throw line.
Lee was led by Haylee Johnson with 13 points and Mallory Hampton with 12 points. Kara Williams and Addison Smith added 10 points each. The Lady Flames shot 43 percent from the field, 29 percent (5-17) from long range, and 50 percent (7-14) from the foul line.
Up next for Union will be the Gulf South Conference Tournament Quarterfinals. Union will host 8-seed Montevallo Tuesday, March 4 at 5:30 p.m. The winner advances to the GSC Semifinals Saturday, March 8 in Birmingham, Alabama at the Pete Hanna Center on the campus of Samford University.
