JACKSON, Tenn. – The No. 11 Union University women's basketball team posted a 70-66 win over the University of West Georgia Thursday night at Fred DeLay Gymnasium. Union improved to 20-2 on the season and 14-2 in the Gulf South Conference. West Georgia dropped to 5-17 overall and 5-11 in league play.
 
This game marked the ninth time this season where Union trailed at the half, the most in any season in Union women's basketball history. Union is 7-2 those nine games, including winning five straight times when trailing at the half.
 
Union was led in the game by junior guard Chelsea Bodiford with 25 points. She was just one point shy of her career high of 26 points in a win over Clayton State (Ga.) November 2013 of her freshman season.
 
For the third straight game, Union was down at the half, trailing 28-26 tonight to West Georgia. Both teams started cold before West Georgia's Bre'ana Singleton and Bodiford opened their teams' scoring over two minutes into the game with 3-pointers. Union capped a 7-0 run to lead 7-3 with 5:24 left in the first quarter. West Georgia responded with a big run of their own, outscoring Union 15-3 over the final five minutes of the quarter to lead 18-10. The Wolves opened the second quarter with a basket to go up by 10, their largest lead of the game. Union slowly cut into their deficit and by the half, trailed just 28-26.
 
In the second half, Union's Bodiford opened play with a 3-pointer to give Union their first lead since early in the game. The two teams went back and forth for most the half with Union clinging to a 48-46 lead after three quarters. After West Georgia tied the game with a basket to start the fourth quarter, Union took the lead for good, 50-48, when Bodiford hit a baseline jumper. Union stretched their lead to nine points three different times in the fourth quarter, with the final time being 67-58 with 53 seconds left. Union survived a couple of late turnovers and a last second 3-pointer by the Wolves to win 70-66.
 
Bodiford's 7-of-11 shooting from long range sparked Union on the night. Union hit 50 percent (11-22) of their 3-pointers including 58 percent (7-12) in the second half. Tiara Caldwell with 13 points and 11 rebounds and Kelsey Risner with 12 points and 12 rebounds joined Bodiford in double figures on the night. Union shot 42 percent from the field and 68 percent (13-19) from the charity stripe.
 
West Georgia was led by Katrina Littlepage with 24 points. Singleton added 14 points on four 3-pointers while Terrianna Cave scored 10 points. The Wolves shot 39 percent from the field, 30 percent (8-27) from long range and 89 percent (8-9) from the free throw line.
 
Up next for Union will the last of a four game home stretch when West Alabama comes to "The Fred" Saturday, February 6 at 2 p.m.
 
-UNION-