JACKSON, Tenn. - The Union University women's basketball team defeated the University of West Georgia 82-45 Thursday night at Fred DeLay Gymnasium. Union, ranked No. 7 in both national polls, improved to 20-1 overall and 12-1 in the Gulf South Conference. West Georgia dropped to 11-7 on the season and 6-6 in league play.  

This win for Union was its eighth straight. 

Union opened the game with a 6-0 run over the first minute and a half of play. Union maintained the lead, despite going scoreless for the next four minutes. Union pushed its lead back to six, 16-10 by the end of the quarter.

The second quarter started with another 6-0 run for Union to extend the lead to 22-10 with 5:44 left in the half. West Georgia scored its first points of the second quarter with 5:27 left in the half. The first 3-pointer of the season for Union post player Morgan Martin gave Union's its largest lead of the half, 25-12. West Georgia cut the deficit to seven points, 25-18, with 2:21 left. But Union answered with a 3-pointer from Avree Carpenter and outscored the Wolves 7-3 to close out the half and lead 32-21 at the break. 

Union's hot start to the quarters continued this time with a 9-0 run over the first three minutes of the third quarter to extend its lead to 20 points, 41-21. Union extended its lead to as many as 29 points, 59-30, before closing the quarter up by the same margin, 61-32. Union dominated the third quarter, outscoring West Georgia 29-11, including a 16-1 run at one point. 

Union scored first in the quarter again for the fourth time in the game, but this time, West Georgia answered with a quick basket. Union led by as many as 38 points (82-44) in the fourth quarter before taking the final 82-45. 

Union outrebounded West Georgia 44-39. Union also won the turnover battle, committing just six turnovers, while forcing 18 from the Wolves. Union scored 18 points off turnovers. 

Union was led by Jada Smith with 22 points, shooting 7-of-11 from the field and 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Martin scored 16 points, Jada Perkins added 15 points, and Carpenter scored 10 points. Kennedy Childers led with nine rebounds. Union shot 42 percent from the field, 32 percent (7-22) from 3-point range, and 94 percent (15-16) from the foul line. 

West Georgia was led by Z. Bankston with nine points. K. Nixon and E. Drawhorn added eight points each. The Wolves shot 27 percent from the field, 33 percent (7-21) from long range, and 75 percent (6-8) from the free throw line. 

Up next for Union will be a home game Saturday, February 2 versus Shorter at 2 p.m.

-UNION-