JACKSON, Tenn. - The Union University women's basketball team posted a 75-65 win over the University of Alabama Huntsville. With the win, Union has now clinched the No. 1 seed in the Gulf South Conference West with one week of regular season play left. Union is 14-4 overall and in league play. UAH dropped to 8-7 on the season and in the GSC West. 

Clinching the top seed in the west means Union is guaranteed to host a quarterfinal, and with a win, a semifinal game at home in Fred DeLay Gymnasium for the Gulf South Conference Tournament. The GSC Quarterfinal game will be Tuesday, March 2 and the semifinal game would be Friday, March 5. Times are to be determined. 

This regular season title for Union women's basketball marks the 34th regular season conference title in program history and seventh since joining the GSC. 

Union head coach Mark Campbell said, "It was a great weekend for our team. UAH is very difficult to guard and has some very experienced, tough players. I thought we really got better this weekend and I am proud of the direction we are going."

Alabama Huntsville opened the game with a basket, but it was Union with the hot start. The Lady Bulldogs posted a 9-0 run to lead 9-2 at the 7:15 mark of the first half. The run started with a 3-pointer from senior Emily Beard. Union pushed the lead up to as many as 12 points twice in the first quarter. The first was following a Kieli Robinson layup to lead 17-5. The next was following a 3-point play from Shanique Lucas to lead 20-8. Union quarter the half leading 20-11. UAH showed life early in the second quarter, opening play with back-to-back 3-pointers from Selena Pruitt to cut its deficit to 20-17. Union, however, stopped to UAH run and thanks to a couple of three-pointers, one Lucas and one from Jordan Little. In the final minute of the half, a 3-pointer from Selale Kepenc gave Union its largest lead of the half, 40-26. That score stood at the break. 

Union came out of the locker room on fire, jumping out to a 50-38 lead over the first two minutes of play. The 10-2 run was capped by two 3-pointers from Kepenc. Union led by as many as 24 points, 54-30 with seven minutes left in the third period. UAH began to chip away at Union's lead. Holly Harris hit back-to-back 3-pointers late in the period, cutting Union's deficit to 62-51 at the end of three quarters. 

The fourth quarter started slow for both teams. UAH finally broke through two minutes into the final quarter with a fifth 3-pointer from Harris to cut the deficit to eight, 62-54. Jaelencia Williams scored Union's first bucket of the quarter at the 7:42 mark. With Union leading 66-56, UAH hit its 14th and final 3-pointer of the game to cut the Union lead to 66-59 with 5:53 left to play. Neither team scored for the next minute and a half. Union stopped the scoring drought with a couple of free throws from Sadie Knee with 4:20 left to lead 68-59. Union added a free throw from Robinson to push the lead back to double digits, 69-59 with 3:35 left. After Williams extended Union's lead to 71-59 with a pair of free throws, UAH got six free throws within the final two minutes to get within six points, 71-65, with 54 seconds left. Union's Williams ended a 6-minute field goal drought for Union with a layup to put Union up 73-65 with 31 seconds left. Two free throws for Knee set the final score at 75-65. UAH's last field goal was at the 5:54 mark of the fourth quarter. 

Union was led by Lucas with 25 points and six assists. Williams scored 19 points with eight rebounds. Union shot 51 percent from the field, 35 percent (8-23) from long range, and 77 percent (13-17) from the free throw line. 

Union outrebounded UAH 35-29, with the offensive rebounds being equal at seven each. Turnovers were close, Union with 12 and UAH with 10. 

Alabama Huntsville was led by Woods with 19 points and 17 rebounds. Harris added 17 points. The Chargers shot 37 percent from the field, 41 percent (14-34) from 3-point range, and 92 percent (11-12) from the charity stripe. 

Up next for Union will be the final regular-season games of the year, a pair of road games at Christian Brothers, February 26-27. Visit www.uuathletics.com/live for coverage options. 

-UNION-