Bulldog women play best game of season in rout of SAU

BARBOURVILLE, Ky. - The Union women's basketball team had its best showing of the 2022-23 season by a wide margin, holding St. Andrews to 13 percent shooting in the second half on its way to a 70-40 win in a makeup conference game at Robsion Arena Friday.

In a game that was just 30-26 at the half, the team's traded baskets in the first 1:26 of the third quarter, before a Ciara Uphoff 3-pointer kick-started a stretch of dominance the Bulldogs were able to keep going the rest of the night. The Knights didn't hit another field goal in the third quarter and Uphoff completed the scoring with another 3 on Union's final possession, as the Bulldogs held a 25-7 scoring edge in the third period.

The offense was rolling inside and out, led by a career-best 22-point scoring performance from Raigan King. King was 7-of-14 from the floor and a perfect 8-of-8 from the line.

She was one of four Bulldogs in double figures, as she was joined by LeAsia Linton (15), Gracie Jervis (12) and McKenzi Himes. Jervis and King both had a team-best seven rebounds, with Linton dishing a game-best six assists.

Though the offense excelled, the defense stole the show, particularly in the second half, where the Knights committed 12 turnovers and connected on just 4-of-29 shot attempts.

And while the third quarter is where Union pulled away, its dominance actually began in the final 1:32. After St. Andrew's had pulled ahead 26-23, the Bulldogs scored the final seven points of the period, a run that started with a Linton 3-pointer.

Now 4-21 with a 4-17 mark in the Appalachian Athletic Conference, the Bulldogs will try to string together consecutive wins for the first time all season on Tuesday, when they travel to Columbia for a 5:30 p.m. game. The Bulldogs defeated the Koalas 63-59 in the teams' first meeting on Jan. 7.