HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The No. 17 Union University women's basketball team posted an 89-85 win at the University of Alabama in Huntsville Saturday afternoon. Union improved to 13-2 on the season and 7-2 in the Gulf South Conference. Alabama Huntsville dropped to 7-6 overall and 4-5 in league play.
The win for Union kept the Lady Bulldogs in a tie for second place in the GSC standings, just one game back of leader Delta State (8-1).
Jackson native and freshman guard
Jada Perkins posted her career-high in the game, leading Union to the key road win in GSC play. Perkins scored the first five points of the game for Union on her way to a game-high 25 points. She also added nine assists and seven rebounds with zero turnovers in the game.
After 39 minutes and 40 seconds of play and 172 combined points, the game was still came down to the last shot. With Union leading by two points, 87-85, and just 20 seconds left on the clock, Alabama Huntsville went for the win, missing on a 3-point attempt in the final seconds.
Fredi Nielsen grabbed the rebound for Union and sank a pair of free throws with one second left to seal the win for Union.
Union started the game hot, jumping out to an 8-2 lead after Perkins scored five points and senior
Kelsey Risner hit a 3-pointer. Union kept the lead until UAH tied the game at 17-17, and then pushed ahead to lead 33-24 at the end of the first quarter. Union then dominated the second quarter, regaining the lead briefly at 38-37 with 5:16 left in the quarter. The teams went back-and-forth for the next five minutes with Alabama Huntsville taking the 47-46 halftime lead.
The third quarter went exactly like the second quarter ended with both teams going back-and-forth. Neither lead led by more that three points at any time in the quarter. Union trailed 67-65 entering the fourth quarter.
The two teams again traded blows in this high scoring contest with no lead exceeding three points for the first three and one half minutes of the final quarter. Then, with Union leading 74-73 with 6:33 left,
Bethany Lytle converted a 3-point place to put Union up 77-73. Nielson answered on the next possession with a layup to push Union's lead to 79-73 with 4:15 left to play. However, UAH responded and following a 3-pointer by Baylee Johnson with 3:53 left, the Chargers had regained the lead, 82-81 with 2:53 left.
With Union trailing by two, 85-83, Perkins tied the game on a layup with 1:32 left to play. Union regained the lead with Lytle hit one-of-two free throws on the next possession. After a turnover by UAH,
Chelsea Bodiford hit one-of-two free throws to give Union the lead, 87-85 with 20 second left. That set up the final play, sending Union to the 89-85 win.
Union on attempted 13 3-pointers in the game, hitting five. However, the Lady Bulldogs dominated the paint, outscoring UAH 50-26 in that stat. Union also led the bench scoring, 34-11.
Perkins' career-high 25 points led the way for Union. Lytle added a career-high 17 points, while
Jada Smith and Nielsen each scored 10 points. Risner led with a game-high 14 rebounds and while scoring five points. Union shot 54 percent from the field, 39 percent (5-13) from 3-point range and 78 percent (14-18) from the free throw line.
Alabama Huntsville was led by H. Jarnagain with 23 points and 13 rebounds. J. Saunders added 18 points, Johnson scored 15 points and D. Saunders scored 13 points. The Chargers shot 40 percent from the field, 34 percent (7-17) from long range and 90 percent (17-19) from the free throw line.
Up next for Union will be a GSG home game, Monday, January 11 versus North Alabama at 6 p.m. Listen at 93.1 FM or online at
www.uuathletics.com/live.
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