Link to 2016 GSC Tournament Page
 
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The No. 9 Union University women's basketball team posted a 69-50 win over Lee University Friday in the Gulf South Conference Tournament Semifinals. Union improved to 28-2 on the season, while Lee dropped to 20-10 overall.
 
Up next for top-seeded Union will be a second straight appearance in the GSC Championship Game, Saturday, March 5 at 1 p.m. versus the winner of second seeded Delta State and third seeded Shorter. Union defeated Delta State last season for the GSC Title.
 
The game started with Union's Tiara Caldwell scoring the first four points of the game for the Lady Bulldogs. Union held the lead for all of the first quarter, except for a 10-10 tie. Union closed out the first quarter with five straight points capped by a 3-pointer from Chelsea Bodiford in the final seconds. Union continued their run to nine straight points and led 19-10 with 8:54 left in the second quarter. Lee responded with a 10-0 run to take 20-19 lead with 6:07 left. Lee led again, 22-21 with 5:05 left in the half, when Union regained control. The Lady Bulldogs closed out the half with a 13-2 run to lead 34-26 at the break.
 
In the second half, Union scored the first five points including another 3-pointer from Bodiford to push out to a 13 point advantage, 39-26 with nine minutes left in the third quarter. Lee posted their second 10-0 run of the game and cut Union's lead down to 39-36 with 7:02 left in the quarter. Union maintained the lead and with 4:15 left, had pushed their lead back to double figures, 46-36. Kelsey Risner hit a 3-pointer for the Lady Bulldogs in the final minute of the quarter to extended Union's lead to 12, 52-40, at the end of the quarter. Union closed out the third quarter outscoring Lee, 13-4, over the final six minutes.
 
Union scored first in the fourth quarter on a jumper from Jada Smith to extend their lead to 14, 54-40, their largest of the game to this point. Lee got a free throw, but Union then scored eight straight points to lead 62-41 with 5:03 left in the game. Union led by as many as 22 points in the game, 67-45, with three minutes left before coasting to the 69-50 win.
 
Union shot 50 percent (5-of-10) from behind the arc in the second half to pull away. Lee had two 10-0 runs in the game that spanned a total of three minutes combined. The Lady Flames managed only 30 points in the other 37 minutes of play.
 
Union was led by Caldwell with 20 points and 13 rebounds after missing the quarterfinal game with an injury. Jada Smith scored 19 points with five assists. Risner finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Bodiford and Jada Perkins each added nine points. Union shot 44 percent from the field, 37 percent (7-of-19) from 3-point range and 74 percent (20-27) from the free throw line.
 
Lee was led by Erin Walsh with 17 points and Cheeks with 13 points. The Lady Flames shot 30 percent from the field, 25 percent (5-20) from long range and 58 percent (7-12) from the free throw line.
 
Saturday's championship game can be heard on the home of Union basketball, GoodNews 93.1 FM and online at www.uuathletics.com/live. The championships game will also be broadcast on ESPN3 at www.ESPN.com.  
 
-UNION-