CLEVELAND, Tenn. - The Union University women's basketball team lost 79-66 at Lee University Thursday evening. Union dropped to 12-6 overall and 7-3 in the Gulf South Conference. Lee improved to 10-5 on the season and 6-4 in league play.
Union had won two straight over Lee including the region semifinals last March at home. Lee has won three of the five meetings, while Union has won six of the last 10.
Union dropped back into a tie for second place in the GSC standings, three games behind unbeaten UAH. Lee sits in fourth, just one game back of Union and UWF in second.
The teams played to an even 14-14 score at the end of the first quarter. Union led by one point, 32-31 at the half. Union held a slim lead for the majority of the first half. Union's largest lead was four points, while Lee led by as many as three points.
Union maintained control early in the third, matching its largest lead at four points, 39-35, following a three pointer from
Abigail Bryan. However, Union went cold. Lee took the lead for good on a 3-pointer to go up 43-41 with 6:03 left in the quarter. Lee outscored Union 27-20 in the third quarter and led 58-52 entering the fourth.
The final quarter was all Lee. The home Lady Flames extended its lead to as many as 17 points, 75-58, with 2:47 left to play. Union managed just six points over the first almost eight minutes of the fourth quarter. Union managed to cut the deficit to 13 points, 79-66 by the end of the game.
Union was led by
Olivia Lee with 14 points and five rebounds.
Nora Saffell added 13 points and five rebounds, while Bryan scored 10 points. The NCAA Division 2 leader with 11 made three pointers per game, managed just five in the game at 25 percent. Union shot 41 percent from the field and 65 percent from 3-point range.
Lee was led by Anna Muhonen with 25 points adn Abby McFarrland with 20 points. Libby Privvett scored 12 points and Hannah Jones added 10 points.
Up next for Union will be another road game, Saturday, January 17 at Trevecca at 2 p.m. in Nashville.
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