JACKSON, Tenn. - The Union University women's basketball team posted a 98-75 win over Drury University Monday evening in the final regular-season non-conference game of the year. The Union, which is receiving votes and currently one spot out of the top 25 in the latest WBCA rankings, improved to 7-4 on the season. Drury dropped to 5-4 overall. 

Union never trailed in the game, but it took a dominating third quarter to put the game out of reach for the visiting Lady Panthers. Union outscored Drury 33-16 in the third period to extend a 39-34 halftime lead to 72-50 at the end of three. Union's largest lead of the night was 29 points with 2:01 left in the game, 94-65. 

Union opened the game with a 9-0 run, five of those nine points coming from Olivia Lee. Union took its first double-figure lead at 13-3 following a layup from Katie Yoder. Union led by as many as 14 points in the first quarter before settling for a 23-12 lead at the end of the quarter. 

Drury, a team that has been one of the top D2 teams in the country in recent history, proved this young team was not going away quietly. Drury posted a 16-3 run to cut Union's lead from 14 points late in the first quarter to one point, 26-25, midway through the second. Union, however, took a step forward in its team progression this year by fighting off each comeback attempt and never giving up the lead. Union led 39-34 at the half. 

Drury cut the lead to five points a few times early in the third, but Union took control. The Lady Bulldog lead never left double figures for the final 13 minutes of play. 

Union was led by six players in double figures, paced by freshman Abigail Bryan's 20 points, tying her career high. Courtney Zensen added 15 points with three 3-pointers. Lee finished with 14 points, Yoder with 13, La'Soonja Hill with 12, and Morgan Escobedo with 10. Union shot 51 percent from the field, including 65 percent in the second half. Union hit 13 three-pointers in the game (42%), including 8-14 in the second half (57%). Union was 15-of-18 (83%) from the free-throw line. 

Drury was led by Sara Mendal with 23 points and 12 rebounds. Kaylee King added 14 points, and Rhi Gibbons scored 12. The Lady Panthers shot 51 percent from the field, 32 percent (6-19) from long range, and 64 percent (7-11) from the free throw line. 

Union will play only GSC games for the remainder of the regular season, beginning Thursday at home versus AUM at 5:30 p.m.

-UNION-