Despite a week of winter weather, Union competed in multiple games against various teams in softball, baseball, and basketball, with women’s basketball clinching the 2015 Gulf South Conference Regular Season title and number one seed in the conference tournament in their game Feb 19.
The softball and baseball teams competed against Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi. On Feb. 19 the softball team lost to the Choctaws in the first two games of the series, losing 2-3 and 0-2. In baseball Union fell to Mississippi College with a 2-3 loss at its 2 p.m. game, but bounced back with a 10-3 win at the 4 p.m. game.
Later Thursday night, Union’s basketball teams celebrated senior night at halftimes of each of the games with eight seniors honored. The women’s team secured a solid win of 97-84 against the University of North Alabama.
Amy Philamlee, senior exercise science major and guard, contributed 42 points to Union’s total score, making it three points below Union’s individual game scoring record of 45 points. Philamlee is the first Union Lady Bulldog player to reach 40 points in a game in over 10 years.
Following the women’s game, the Union men battled against the University of North Alabama, coming up short with a final score of 70-93. The Bulldogs are currently 12-9 in GSC play and ranked fifth in the conference.
On Feb. 20 Union’s baseball team won at its 1 p.m. game with a final score of 9-8 against Mississippi College. At the same time, Union’s softball team lost to Mississippi College with a score of 1-2.
Summer Cross, junior nursing major and outfielder, said that the team struggled to make successful hits throughout the game, but it was in the 10th inning that it became a “make-or-break” situation for the team.
Despite the final loss from a consistently tight game, the team did not lose all hope as they move forward to play more games in the future.
“I think we learned that we have to build on positive where you have to trust on the ability that what God has given us is sure,” Cross said. “We have to work as a team because not one person can carry a team.”
On Feb. 21 Union’s basketball teams competed at the University of Alabama Huntsville.
The Lady Bulldogs secured a win with a final score of 64-62, while the men fell by one point with a total score of 74-75 against the current number one seed in the GSC.
“We were up the first half,” said Eric Leisey, senior business administration major and forward. “Near the end, we were up by nine, and they came back and won the game.”
A three-point shot was made by Marterrace Brock, junior sports management major and guard, near the game’s closing, but it was not counted as the officials ruled the shot was made after the final buzzer.
“Even though it was a tough loss, it is not the end of the season,” Leisey said. “We still have the conference playoffs.”
