The Union University women’s basketball team posted a 74-50 win at Shorter University to close out the regular season. Union, ranked No. 14 in the WBCA Coaches’ Poll and No. 25 in the D2SIDA Media Poll, improved to 23-3 on the season and 21-3 in the Gulf South Conference. Shorter ended their year 2-25 overall and 2+22 in league play.
The win clinched a share of the 2022-23 GSC Regular Season Title with Lee University. This marks the sixth straight season and nine overall for Union women to win or share the GSC Regular Season Championship. Union and Lee also shared the 2020 regular season crown.
Union will be the No. 2 seed in next week’s GSC Tournament and Lee will have the No. 1 seed by way of the tiebreaker. Union will host 7-seed Delta State University Tuesday, February 28 at 6:00 p.m. The winner will advance to the GSC Semifinals in Birmingham, Alabama in the Pete Hanna Center on the campus of Samford University.
The game started with a layup from Shanique Lucas and then a 3-pointer from Shorter to take the early 3-2 lead. Union posted an 11-0 run capped by a 3-pointer from Lauren West to push its lead to double figures, 13-3. Shorter rallied back with a 13-0 run to lead 16-13 with 1:09 left in the first quarter. Union got a 3-pointer from Shanique Lucas to stop the run and tie the game 16-16 at the end of one quarter.
Union took the lead for good on a three-pointer from Shanique Lucas to open the second quarter. Union dominated the second quarter 27-7 to lead 43-23 at the half. Union led by as many as 27 points in both the third and fourth quarters before coasting to the 24-point win.
Take away the 27-7 second quarter, and the first, third, and fourth quarters were played to a 47-43 advantage for Union.
Shorter outrebounded Union 35-30, but Union forced 28 Shorter turnovers, scoring 21 points off those turnovers.
Union was led by Naomi Van Nes with 13 points. Leah Cauble added 12 points and Shanique Lucas scored 10 points. West finished with nine on 3-of-6 shooting from long range. Union shot 39 percent from the field, 39 percent (9-31) from 3-point range, and 85 percent (17-20) from the free throw line.
Shorter was led by Tiara Lewis with 15 points and Keyra Peterson with 12 points. Shorter shot 39 percent from the field, 36 percent (4-11) from 3-point range, and 83 percent (10-12) from the free throw line.
