BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Union University women's basketball team posted an 81-50 win over the University of West Georgia Friday afternoon in the first semifinal game of the 2015 VisitSpaceCoast.com Gulf South Conference Basketball Tournament. Union, the No. 1 seed, improved to 25-3 on the season, while fourth seed West Georgia ends their season at 19-11.
 
The game was also a milestone game for Union senior and GSC Player of the Year, Amy Philamlee, who passed 2,000 career points with her first basket of the game. She became the eighth player in school history to scored 2,000 points at Union. Philamlee finished with a game-high 27 points, which moved her into seventh place on the Union all-time scoring list, passing Lavanda Ross' 2,022 points.
 
Union head coach Mark Campbell said, "This is the second game where we had contributions in key moments form several different players. We distributed the ball much better in this game. We also played a level of defense today that we have not played in a while. Our defense created a number of scoring opportunities. I'm very proud of our effort today"
 
West Georgia scored the first basket of the game to lead 2-0, but that was the only lead of the game for the Wolves. Union's Amber Rechis answered with a 3-pointer to put Union up for good. Emily Sissom followed with another 3-pointer from Union to go up 6-2. West Georgia got as close as two points, 8-6 with 13:56 to play, before got hot from long range. Union started the game making just two of their first 11 3-point attempts. However, in the final 10 minutes of the half, Union heated up, making eight of their final 12 3-point attempts in the half to pull away. Union pushed their first half lead to as many as 22 points, the 42-20 halftime lead.
 
In the second half, West Georgia opened with a 6-0 run to cut Union's lead to 16 points. That was as close as the Wolves got in the second half. Union continued to shoot at a high percentage. The Lady Bulldogs extended their lead to as many as 33 points twice in the second half, before taking the 81-50 final.
 
Union shot 48 percent from the field, including 50 percent in the second half. Union made 44 percent (16-26) from long range. Union, who leads NCAA Division II with 10.7 made 3-pointers per game, hit 10 long range shots in the first half.
 
Union was led by Philamlee's 27 points. She was 9-of-16 from the field and 5-of-8 from the 3-point line. She added seven assists and five boards in the game. Chelsea Bodford added 14 points including four 3-pointers. Rechis scored 10 points, while she, Sissom, Kelsey Risner all hit two 3-pointers in the game. Jaclissa Haislip added a three point and seven points in the win. Union shot 69 percent (9-13) from the free throw line.
 
West Georgia was led by Taylor Beverly with 23 points. Seandra Lee added 10 points. The Wolves shot 31 percent from the field, 12 percent (2-17) from long range and 71 percent (12-17) from the free throw line.
 
Up next for Union will be the championship game, Saturday, March 7 at 1:00 p.m. versus the winner of the Delta State (Miss.) and Shorter (Ga.) game. Listen on 93.1 FM or online at www.uuathletics.com/live.
 
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