OWENSBORO, Ky. - The Union University women's basketball team opened the 2026-27 season with an 84-66 win over Harding University. The win marked the first career coaching victory for new head coach,
Sean Blackburn. Blackburn is just the fourth head coach in the 55-year history of Union University women's basketball.
Four Union players hit double figures, while 11 players scored for the Lady Bulldogs. Union was led by
Grace Abram with 18 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field.
Olivia Lee scored 14 points, while
Aubrey Sorrells and
Kaitlyn Yoder added 12 and 11 points respectively. Newcomer
Tiara Hozumi led with nine assists with
Aryn Roberts leading with seven rebounds.
Abram scored the game's first points with a layup to give Union the early lead. Union never trailed in the contest and led 16-14 after the first quarter.
After going just 1-for-6 from long range in the first quarter, Union got hot, hitting 5-of-11 3-pointer in the second quarter. After Harding tied the game for the third and final time with a bucket to open the second, Union got a 3-pointer from Lee and the Lady Bulldogs held the lead the rest of the game. Union extended its lead to double figures and led 38-25 at the half.
Both teams had their best quarters in the third with Harding outscoring Union 27-26. Harding cut Union's lead to just seven late in the third, but Union pushed the lead back to double figures, 64-52 after three.
Union's largest lead of the night was 22 points, 74-52, with seven minutes left in the game. The stretch from late in the third leading by just seven, to its largest lead early in the fourth, spanned six minutes of game time. Union outscored Harding 19-4 during that 6-minute span.
Union scored 24 points off 20 Harding turnovers and scored 40 points in the paint.
Union shot 43 percent from the field, 32 percent (11-34) from 3-point range, and 82 percent (9-11) from the free throw line.
Harding's Allie Rehl led with 14 points and Alli McAda with 13 points. Harding shot 39 percent from the field, 42 percent (8-19) from long range, and 73 percent (8-11) from the foul line.
Union will play its second and final game of the Tip-Off Classic hosted by Kentucky Wesleyan Saturday, November 7 at 11:45 a.m. Central.
-UNION-
