The Union University women’s basketball team, ranked No. 17 in the WBCA and D2CCA preseason poll, kicked off the season by defeating Lubbock Christian University 87-78 on Nov. 3 and Colorado State University-Pueblo 108-70 on Nov. 4. These two wins have set the team up for another successful season.
The Bulldogs opened up their 2023-24 season with their defeat of Lubbock Christian University, securing their season opener for the 42nd straight season, as well as marking the first time the two teams have played one another since they made NCAA D2 in 2012-13. Union caught up from Lubbock’s initial 4-0 lead and came out ahead for the first time in the game with two made free throws from Jasalyn Anousihn. By the end of the first 10 minutes, Union was in the lead 32-20, and stayed on top for the rest of the game. The game’s top performers were Macey Lee with 19 points, and Shanique Lucas, named preseason All-GSC, with 18 points.
However, the highlight of the season thus far has been Union’s win against Colorado State University-Pueblo. Lucas started Union strong with 20 points and six rebounds, leading the team to a 28-10 lead in the first quarter before they reached their ultimate lead of 38 points by the end of the game. Several players, including Lucas, contributed to the Bulldogs’ offensive dominance: Emma Kallas scored 17, Olivia Lee scored 11 and Courtney Zensen scored 10.
The Bulldogs have been putting in the hours to get to where they are for these season openers, according to Kallas, a fifth year transfer and graduate student at Union. She says that now that the team knows they can win big, they are committed to following through on those expectations.
“You work hard every single day and then you expect great results,” Kallas said. “We all have those expectations of each other, we hold each other accountable to a really high level of playing and how we treat each other.”
Of course, these two wins do not guarantee the overall success of the season, but this Union team has now shown the quality of play they are capable of, living up to their preseason rankings. Next, the team will be competing in two games in Puerto Rico on Nov. 10 and 11. Lucas, a senior exercise science major, feels optimistic about those upcoming games, saying the team is more locked in, with even more good players than they have seen in years past.
“Sometimes with other programs, will have 10 or 15 girls but the coaches will only be able to trust maybe 8 of them,” Lucas said. “That’s just not the case with this team. Everyone contributes.”
Union’s next game will be versus the University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon on Nov. 10.
