Union University basketball - GSC quarterfinals - women defeat West Florida; men fall to West Georgia

Union University basketball – GSC quarterfinals – women defeat West Florida; men fall to West Georgia

JACKSON, Tenn. – The Union University women’s basketball team posted a 69-46 win at home against the University of West Florida Tuesday night in the Gulf South Conference Tournament Quarterfinals.

Union improved to 16-5 overall. West Florida ended its season at 9-10.

According to a press release from Steven Aldridge – Assistant Director of Athletics for Sports Communication – the Lady Bulldogs exploded offensively and never looked back, opening the game with a 25-5 first quarter performance. West Florida cut the deficit to just nine points in the second quarter, but Union responded with a 10-1 run to set the halftime score at 40-22. Union scored 17 points in the third and 12 in the fourth quarter to secure the win.

Union never trailed in the game and led by as many as 27 points in the second half.

Union was led by GSC West Player of the Year, Jaelencia Williams with 23 points and nine rebounds while shooting 72 percent from the field. First team All-GSC West selection Shanique Lucas added 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Emily Beard scored 14 points while shooting four-for-six from long range. The Lady Bulldogs shot 44 percent from the field, 30 percent (7-23) from long range, and 75 percent (12-16) from the free throw line.

West Florida was led by Gabby Brown with 11 points and Aline Fevrier with 10 points. The Argonauts shot 30 percent from the field, 28 percent (5-8) from long range, and 72 percent (13-18) from the free throw line.

Up next, Union will head host the semifinal round of the GSC tournament against the second seed from the GSC East, Montevallo, Friday, March 5 at 6 p.m. Tickets for the game are free, but must be reserved online at www.uuathletics.com/tickets. Limited supply is available due to attendance restrictions. Game coverage information can be found at www.uuathletics.com/live with Union radio on 101.5 FM or online and video on FloHoops. The video requires a subscription

Union men drop GSC quarterfinal game to West Georgia

JACKSON, Tenn. – The Union University men’s basketball team fell 77-61 to the University of West Georgia in the GSC Quarterfinals Tuesday night. Union dropped to 11-8, while West Georgia improved to 13-6.

According to a press release from Steven Aldridge – Assistant Director of Athletics for Sports Communication – the first half was a tight battle that featured seven lead changes. Union led by as many as nine points before the Wolves worked their way back to tie the game with just over three minutes remaining in the half. Both teams shot 15-32 from the field in the half, but West Georgia was able to take a 40-38 lead into the break. After four more lead changes in the second half, the Wolves took the lead for good with just under 16 minutes left to play. West Georgia was 8-for-15 from 3-point range in the second half, outscoring Union 37-23 in the final 20 minutes.

Union was led by second team All-GSC West selection Tylandrius Parks with 13 points and 10 rebounds, his tenth career double-double. Justin Debuck, GSC West Freshman of the Year, added 12 points while Dusan Djordjevic also added 12 points and seven rebounds. GSC West first team selection Hunter Vick scored eight points and led with five assists. Union shot 40 percent from the field, 30 percent (7-23) from 3-point range, and 67 percent (6-9) from the free throw line.

West Georgia was led by Michael Zebetakis with 22 points. Deng Nhial added 19 points, and Kadein Jones added 15. The Wolves shot 52 percent from the field, 50 percent (15-30) from behind the arc, and 50 percent (4-8) from the free throw line.