JACKSON, Tenn. – Nationally ranked No. 11 Union University sank 11 of its 26 three-point field goal attempts (42 percent) en route to a 76-60 Gulf South Conference Women's Basketball victory over West Alabama at Fred DeLay Gymnasium on Saturday.
No. 11 Union extends its win streak to 10 to improve to 21-2 overall and 15-2 in GSC. West Alabama falls to 7-14 and 4-13.
"Union is a good ball club and you can't take anything away from that," said UWA head coach
Rusty Cram. "I think the difference for us continues to be playing weak inside. We just have a lot of work still to do in that area of the game. Another major difference was their 3-point shooting in the first half, especially out of transition. We have to be smarter guarding out of transition."
Tiara Caldwell had 17 second half points to lead the game with 25. Kelsey Risner and Chelsea Bodiford followed with 13 each. Tiffany Rechis was 4-of-9 from the 3-point line, while Bodiford was 3-of-8. Rechis came off the bench to net 12 points with four 3-point field goals in nine attempts.
Union shot 9-of-18 three-point field goals (50 percent) in the first half to take a 41-25 lead at the break. It totaled 13-of-29 (45 percent) in the field, and edged out the Tigers 19-15 in the rebounding effort. Risner, Bodifer and Rechis led the sharp shooting with three 3-pointers each in the half. Bodifer led with 11 points.
In the first half, UWA was 10-of-28 from the field (36 percent).
Catherine Taylor accounted for three of the Tigers' combined four 3-pointers.
Ariel Wilson owned 11 points going into the second half, after hitting 5-of-10 from the field.
The perimeter shooting dropped in the second half for the Bulldogs, as they shot 2-of-8 from behind the arc (25 percent). They maintained their overall shooting, hitting 12-of-28 total from the field (43 percent).
Union won the turnover battle 9-15, turning UWA's mistakes into 14 points, while the Tigers ended with 11 points off turnovers.
Wilson finished with 21 points for West Alabama. She was 10-of-20 from the field. Taylor ended 6-of-14 from the field and 3-of-9 from the arc with 15 points. The Tigers combined to shoot 25-of-65 from the field (39 percent) and 7-of-24 from the 3-point arc (29 percent).
"Ariel and Catherine continue to play at the top of their game," Cram said. "I don't know where we would be without them. We still need the third or fourth player to breakout."
West Alabama women's basketball will travel to Cleveland, Tenn. to take on Lee University on Thursday in the third of a four game road stretch. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m. (C.S.T.).
