The Union Lady Spartans made their 2016 debut against the Princeton Bulldogs. They would struggle to put points on the board early on, scoring just two points in the first quarter. The Bulldogs on the other hand would put 10 points on the board and hit the offensive glass, bolstering them to a 54-28 win.
The Spartans would close the lead to 10-5 in the second quarter, but the Bulldogs shooting picked up behind back-to-back three-pointers by Jordan Benson and Emily Ricks would put in seven points to give the Bulldogs a 24-9 lead at the half.
Princeton got off to a quick start in the second half, building their lead to 40-15 near the end of the third quarter. Justice Johnson hit two field goals and a free throw to narrow the Union deficit to 20, but that was as close as they would get as Princeton rolled.
Union Coach Bryant Register said his team played well at times, but seemed to have “opening night jitters.”
“Overall, I found some things we need to work on. We’ve got to play more consistently. If we can settle down, we will be fine,” said Register. “We have got to play hard at all times.”
Johnson led the Spartans with 10 points. Shamya Hope and Kaia Johnson each added five points, and Noelanda Carr posted three.
The Spartans are now 0-1 overall and will play at Hobbton on Friday night.