JACKSON, Tenn. - The Union University women's basketball team posted a 113-67 win over the University of West Florida Saturday afternoon at Fred DeLay Gymnasium, David Blackstock Court. Union improved to 12-5 overall and 7-2 in the Gulf South Conference. West Florida dropped to 19-5 on the season and 6-3 in league play. 

The two teams were tied for second place in the GSC standings at 6-2 entering the game. 

Union scored the first five points of the game, including a 3-pointer from Courtney Zensen to open play. West Florida settled in and rallied to take a couple of brief one-point leads at 10-9 and again at 12-11. Union quickly regained the lead with a 7-0 run capped by a three-pointer from Abigail Bryan. The lead for Union remained in single digits for the rest of the quarter, with Union leading 26-20 at the end of one. 

Zensen again opened the quarter with a basket, this time a 2-pointer to extend Union's lead. West Florida got as close as four early in the second, but Union then took over. A 15-0 run by Union pushed Union's lead from 28-24 to 43-24 with 4:09 left in the half. The Argos ended its scoreless streak with a couple of 3-pointers, but Union continued to build a lead. Union led by as many as 23 points, 57-34, late in the quarter before taking a 59-37 lead into the locker room. Union outscored West Florida 33-17 and shot 74 percent from the field in the second quarter.

Nora Saffell led all scorers with 12 points in the first half. She was 6-for-7 from the field, helping Union to a blistering 64 percent shooting from the field in the first half. 

West Florida came out of the locker room with a couple of quick 3-pointers to cut into Union's lead. However, Union used another big run to clamp down on any comeback hopes for the Argos. A couple more three pointers, one from Olivia Lee and another from Zensen, pushed Union's lead to 74-45 with 5:45 left in the quarter. Union finished the quarter up 87-54. 

Union cruised in the third, pushing its lead to as many as 49 points, 113-64 late in the contest before taking the 113-67 win. Union equaled its NCAA D2 leading 11 made 3's per game, and improved on the second-best scoring offense in the nation. 

All eleven players scored for Union, including seven in double figures. Zensen led all scorers in the game with 16 points, hitting 4-of-7 three pointers. Saffell and Lee both finished with 14 points, Aryn Roberts with 12, Bryan with 11, and Maddie Gray and Aubrey Sorrells added 10 each. Union shot 58 percent from the field, 44 percent (11-25) from three-point range, and 84 percent (16-19) from the free-throw line. 

West Florida was led by Avery O'Connor with 12 points and eight rebounds. The Argos shot 37 percent from the field, 29 percent (8-28) from long range, and 70 percent (7-10) from the foul line. 

Union will hit the road to east and middle Tennessee next week for games at Lee, Thursday, January 15, and 4:30 p.m., and Saturday, January 17, at Trevecca for a 2 p.m. game. Watch live on FloCollege at www.uuathletics.com/coverage. 

-UNION-