On Thursday, Feb. 29, Union University’s women’s basketball team played against Lee University in Union’s Fred DeLay Gymnasium, winning 69-49 and improving to 19-9 against the Lee Flames. After this victory, the Lady Bulldogs hold a 21-2 record in the Gulf South Conference (GSC) and a 27-2 overall on the season.
A pre-tournament showdown against a tough opponent, this game was crucial to the Lady Bulldogs’ chances of taking a leap higher in the conference.
The game started with GSC Freshman of the Week Courtney Zensen scoring the first points of the game. By the end of the first half, the teams were tied at 16-16.
The second half saw Union quickly establish a 6-point lead at 31-25. The Lady Bulldogs strengthened their lead from there, finally going up 69-49 and winning the game with a 20-point lead.
Head Coach Mark Campbell commented on the team’s improved play after halftime:
“As the game goes on, sometimes their emotions get in the way of them seeing things correctly,” Campbell said, “and halftime gives us the opportunity to refocus . . . The biggest obstacle for us is emotions. I think we have a lot of people who really care, so they get disappointed in themselves when they think they let the team down. When actually what’s the thing that lets the team down is not being focused on what you are doing in the moment. And so I think . . . emotions can distract us from what we’re going to be held accountable for. So every time we play is an opportunity to get better at those things.”
Campbell’s team has consistently responded to his coaching points in games like this one. Shanique Lucas, a guard and graduate student studying exercise science, commented on the team’s relationship with their coaches:
“We trust [Assistant] Coach Sean [Blackburn]. We trust Coach Campbell,” Lucas said. “Coach Campbell talked to us about giving our gifts away, and I think if we do that, don’t try to go outside ourselves, don’t try to take on different identities, and just try to be the players that we are and give away the gifts that we have, then I think we should go really far this year.”
As the conference tournament approaches, the Lady Bulldogs have the second strongest record in the conference and a six game winning streak. Campbell discussed how he feels about the upcoming conference tournament.
“I don’t want to consider how I feel,” Campbell said. “I just need to know how we need to get better. If I go by what I feel, we probably aren’t going to end up being as good as we need to be.”
The GSC Women’s Basketball Championship tournament kicks off on Mar. 5., with quarterfinal matchups to be held on the campus of the university with the higher seed.
