PHOTOS
HUNTSVILLE | The University of Alabama in Huntsville women's basketball team picked up its first conference win of the year, and it came in the form of a 57-56 victory over Union as the Chargers beat the preseason favorite to win the Gulf South Conference on Saturday afternoon at Kelly Court at Spragins Hall. The Chargers improve to 2-9 (1-5 GSC), while the Bulldogs slip to 8-5 (3-4 GSC).
 
Turning Point
-With Union holding a 56-54 advantage, Baylee Johnson tied the game with 12 seconds left, and the hosts then prevented Union from getting anything on the ensuing possession to give the Chargers the ball back with just seconds remaining. Katie Speegle was fouled, stepped up to the line and made a free throw, lifting the Chargers to the victory after Union's attempt at the buzzer did not fall.
 
Inside the Box Score
-Speegle led the Chargers on the afternoon as she logged a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Chandler Elder also logged a double-double as she had 10 points to go along with a game-best 12 boards.
-UAH had a trio of players score in double figures as Johnson chipped in with 11.
-Speegle also dished out a team-high four assists.
-The guests were paced by Bria Gaines who scored 14.
-For the contest, UAH shot 40.0 percent while turning in a defensive effort that held the Bulldogs to a shooting mark of just 32.3 percent including a 2-for-13 showing from beyond the arc.
-The home team was also the winner on the glass, grabbing 41 rebounds to Union's 36.
-The Chargers led for nearly 36 minutes in the contest, while the visitors only held the advantage for just under a minute.
 
Inside the Flow
-With the game tied at 8-8 at the 3:48 mark of the opening quarter, the Chargers went on a 9-1 run to close out the period, lifting the squad to its first substantial lead of the game at 17-9 going into the second quarter.
-The teams traded baskets through the first five minutes of the second stanza, but the Chargers would go on another run to end the quarter, outscoring Union 11-4 over the final 4:36 to go into the locker room at the break up by 12 at 34-22.
-The Bulldogs then had its first strong spurt of the contest, ripping off a 12-2 run to close the gap to just 45-44 with 31 seconds left in the third quarter.
-An old-fashioned 3-point play by Elder to conclude the quarter would start an 8-0 run for the Chargers that put the team back ahead by nine at 53-44 with 7:40 left in the game, but the Bulldogs answered back with eight consecutive points of their own to make it a one-point game again at the 3:44 mark.
-An Elder free throw would temporarily halt the Union run and put UAH up at 54-52 with 3:28 left, but the Chargers would be held scoreless for three minutes and the Bulldogs would hit two layups during that timeframe to create the 56-54 score prior to the late dramatics from Johnson and Speegle.
 
Noteworthy
­-The win is the program's first over Union.
-The double-double for Speegle is the freshman's first in her career, and the 10 rebounds is also a season-high.
-Elder now has double-doubles in back-to-back games after she posted an identical 10-point, 12-rebound showing at Valdosta State this past Monday.
-The 32.3 percent shooting performance by Union is the lowest this season by a UAH opponent.
 
Next Time Out
­-The Chargers will look to establish some momentum when Christian Brothers visits on Monday. Tip-off at Spragins Hall is slated for 1 p.m.