Jackson, Tenn. – The Delta State University women's basketball team (4-3, 0-1 GSC) fell in their Gulf South Conference opener to nationally ranked Union University (5-2, 1-0 GSC) 85-59 Thursday evening in the Fred DeLay Gymnasium in Jackson.
 
The Lady Statesmen got a career-high from sophomore guard Madi Kate Vuncannon. The Tiplersville, Miss., native scored 18 points as she knocked down six of nine shots from beyond the arch against the 20th ranked team in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
 
Delta State shot the ball well from the field as the Green and White shot 47.1 % from beyond the arch and 43.1% from the field. The Lady Bulldogs pressure would force 31 Lady Statesmen turnovers.
 
In the opening quarter, the Green and White and Union would have two ties and exchange the lead before the first media timeout where the Lady Bulldogs led 12-10.
 
The Lady Statesmen would shoot 2-3 from beyond the arch in the first five minutes with three balls from Vuncannon and Olivia Allen. Allen would be the other Lady Statesmen to score double digits as she scored 12 points in the game.
 
The Bulldogs would extend the lead to 10 with a 23-13 lead at the end of the first frame.
 
In the beginning of the second quarter, Delta State would go on a 12-2 run to cut the Union lead down to 29-25. During the run, the Green and White would get five points from Makenzie Hill and four points from Dakiya Toney. Hill would score eight points and dished out two assists. Toney would score six points and grabbed five rebounds.
 
After trailing 41-31 at the half, The Lady Statesmen would go three for four from beyond the arch to start the second half as Allen and Vuncannon would continue to knock down shots from beyond the arch. A Grace Watson lay up would bring the Lady Statesmen to a seven-point deficit to make it 54-47. Watson would have six points and six rebounds as she battled foul trouble early on.
 
Union would outscore Delta State 18-11 in the fourth to hold on to a 85-59 win.
 
The Lady Statesmen will continue their road trip as they will head to Memphis on Saturday to face the Lady Buccaneers from Christian Brothers University. Saturday's game will tip-off at 1:00 p.m. (CDT).