Cougar News

Jackson, TN - Union University (18-1, 5-0 TSAC), the number one ranked team in the NAIA national coaches' poll for 30 consecutive weeks and winner of two consecutive NAIA Division I national women's basketball championships, led 60-19 at halftime, expanded the lead to 58 points in the second half, and soundly defeated Mid-Continent University (1-14, 0-4 TSAC), 101-44, in TranSouth conference action, Monday, Jan. 18, at Fred DeLay Gymnasium in Jackson, Tenn.

    Union has won 53 consecutive home games, while MCU has lost eight consecutive conference games, including the last four games of 2008-09 and the first four this season.  Next on its schedule, MCU hosts 19th-ranked Bethel University (11-7, 2-2 TSAC) for a conference game at the Mayfield High School Sports Arena, Thursday, Jan. 21, at 8:00 p.m., and travels to Henderson, Tennessee for a TSAC game at number six ranked Freed-Hardeman University (13-3, 1-2 TSAC), Saturday, Jan. 23, at 4:00 p.m.

    MCU's reserve guard Nicki Dewitt (Louisville, KY/Atherton HS) tossed in a season-high 14 points with 4 three-pointers, 2 rebounds and 2 assists, and 6-3 center Kandi Knupp (Iuka, MS/Tishomingo County HS/N.E. Mississippi CC) added 12 points, rebounds and 2 assists for the Lady Cougars. Junior guard Tiffany Payton (Wadesville, IN/Mater Dei HS/Kaskaskia College, IL)totaled 10 points with 2 three-pointers, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. Union's senior guard Jessica Graves led with 19 points, 11 in the first half, 3 three-pointers and 3 assists, and NAIA All-American Kaitlin Dudley scored 14 points, 9 in the first half, with 4 three-pointers. 6-4 center Zeinab Chan added 15 points, 9 in the first half, and a game-high 10 rebounds, and made 7 of her 9 shots, and reserve guard Kayla Hudson added 12 points, 2 three-pointers and 7 assists. Guard Lavanda Ross contributed 14 points and 6 rebounds.

     In the first half, Union scored the first 19 points of the contest and led 60-19 at halftime with 9 three-pointers and just 2 turnovers. Mid-Continent committed 18 turnovers while shooting just .333 from the field (7-21), and Union shot a hot .545 (24-44) from the field. In the second half, Union stretched the lead to 58 points, going up 81-23 at 13:08 and 95-37 at the 3:29 mark.

    In the game, MCU shot .340 from the field for the game (18-53), made 6 of 23 three-pointers (.261) and made 2 of 4 free throws and finished with 31 turnovers and just one steal. Union shot .533 from the field (40-75), nailed 11 of 32 three-pointers (.344) and 10 of 18 free throws (.556) and also committed just 9 turnovers. Union led 43-31 in rebounding over MCU and stole the ball 17 times, four each recorded by Chan and Bryant and 3 by Graves. Union turned MCU's turnovers into 44 points.