BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Union University women's basketball team won the 2018 Gulf South Conference Tournament with a 66-54 win over the University of West Florida. Union, the top seed in the tournament, improved to 28-3 on the season, while sixth seeded West Florida ended their season 18-12.
This marked the second GSC Tournament Title for Union. Union also won the tournament title in 2015. Chelsey Shumpert was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Joining Shumpert on the all-tournament team from Union was Jada Perkins and Sara Lytle. Other members of the all-tournament team included Halee Nieman (West Florida), TAzsa Garrett-Hammett (West Alabama), and Carrie Cheeks (Lee).
Union scored the game's first basketball one minute into the game on a layup from Chelsey Shumpert. Kyvin Goodin-Rogers started an 11-0 run for Union over four minute stretch to lead 13-1 with 2:49 left in the quarter. West Florida's only scoring early was a free throw at the 7:20 mark. West Florida got their first field goal to stop the Union run on an offensive put back by Halee Nieman. Union led by as many as 13 points twice in the first quarter, the first time (16-3) following a 3-pointer from Jada Perkins. Union matched their largest lead of 13 points when AnnaLea Little hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to put Union up 23-10 at the end of one. Union was 3-of-6 from 3-point range in the first quarter.
Union maintained a double figure lead for most of the second quarter including a 15 point advantage, 33-18, with 4:36 left to play. Both teams then went over three minutes without scoring. Nieman again snapped the drought for West Florida hitting a 3-pointer with 1:05 left in the half. Union's Emily Beard hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send Union to the locker room up 36-23. Union was just 1-of-8 from long range in the second quarter.
Union shot 42 percent from the field in the first half, including 4-of-14 from 3-point range (29%). Union's defense held West Florida to just 29 percent shooting from the field. Both teams had seven turnovers in the first half.
In the third quarter, Union started play without the GSC Player of the Year Shumpert, nursing an injury. Union matched their largest lead a few times early, including 41-26 following a 3-pointer from Beard. Union again went almost three minutes without a field goal, but West Florida could not make up any ground. Beard hit her third 3-pointer of the game and Union led 44-29 with 3:26 left in the quarter. West Florida then put together an 11-2 run over the final three minutes of the quarter to cut the Union lead down to 46-40. West Florida was 12-of-14 from the free throw line in the third quarter.
West Florida continued the run into the fourth quarter when Belle Bistrow converted a 3-point play to cut the Union lead down to three points, 46-43. Goodin-Rogers snapped the run with a pair of free throws with 7:57 left in the game. After the Argos hit a jumper, Perkins answered for Union with a 3-pointer to put Union back up by six points, 51-46, with 7:15 left. After a 10-2 run by Union, the Lady Bulldogs had pushed their lead back to double figures, 56-45 with 5:20 left. Rechis capped the run with 3-pointer. UWF answered with a bucket, but Perkins then drained her third 3-pointer to extended Union's lead to 12 points, 59-47 with 3:45 left. Lytle scored for Union between four more free throws from Nieman and Union led 61-51 with 1:42 left in the game. Union was called for an offensive foul and Nieman answered with a 3-pointer to get UWF to within seven points, 61-54, with 59 seconds left.
Lytle ended the short 5-0 run by West Florida when she was hit two free throws to put Union up 63-54 with 56 seconds left. Goodin-Rogers blocked a layup by Niemann and Perkins then hit one of two free throws to give Union a 10 point lead with 46 seconds left. After another miss by UWF, Beard hit two free throws and Union held on to win 66-54. Union closed out the game with five straight points and played the entire second half without leading scorer Shumpert. Union led wire-to-wire.
Union was led by Perkins with 12 points. Shumpert added 10 points, all coming in the first half. Beard and Rechis each added nine points, while Goodin-Rogers added eight points. Union shot 35 percent from the field, 33 percent (9-27) from long range, and 81 percent (13-16) from the foul line.
West Florida was led by Nieman with 23 points and nine rebounds. Shaniqua Magee scored 14 points and Belle Bistrow scored 10 points. The Argos shot 26 percent from the field, 22 percent (4-18) from 3-point range, and 82 percent (22-27) from the free throw line.
Up next for Union is the 2018 NCAA DII National Championships. Union will host the South Region Tournament next week, March 9, 10, and 12. It will be the third region tournament hosted by Union in the last four years.
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