The Union University women’s basketball team’s season came to an end Saturday night as the Lady Bulldogs fell in a 65—38 loss to Eckerd College in the second round of the NCAA Division II Tournament in Huntsville, Alabama.
The loss ends Union’s postseason run but also concludes another strong year. The Lady Bulldogs finished the season with an overall record of 25-10 and a 16-6 record in Gulf South Conference play, securing their second straight GSC championship and closing out the final chapter of Coach Mark Campbell’s Hall of Fame career.
Union struggled offensively throughout the game as Eckerd controlled the pace and limited Union’s scoring opportunities. Despite the result, several Lady Bulldogs contributed across the stat sheet.
Olivia Lee led the way for Union with 8 points and 7 rebounds, while Morgan Escobedo added 7 points and 5 steals. Courtney Zenson and Aubrey Sorrels each added 6 points in the loss.
Campbell concludes his time as a coach with 800 wins and 5 national championships among numerous other accolades that all contributed to his lasting impact on the program.
For the players, the season was about more than wins and losses. Courtney Zenson, a junior biology major and one of the team’s top scorers, said the group’s perseverance defined this season.
“This season was very different from past years that I’ve been playing at Union,” Zenson said.
Union struggled in conference play more than in years past, and she found that at the height of the team’s adversity, the team reached a turning point.
“Before our final two weeks of conference games, we were 12-6 and could not lose anymore, or we would not be 2nd in the conference,” Zenson said. “But those last games were our turning point. We fought in every single game and went 4-0 and won against 2 teams that we had lost to earlier in the season.”
Zenson credited the team’s chemistry and work ethic for helping them push through and finish strong after the rough stretch.
“We may not have had the most talented individual players, but we played for each other and worked our tails off,” Zenson said.
Morgan Escobedo, a junior biology major, echoed Zenson’s sentiment.
“I’m most proud of our team for winning the conference,” Escobedo said. “We had to change the usual press style. It was a huge adjustment midway through the season.”
Despite the challenges faced during the season, the team finished strong
“I was excited to see us overcome that and win the conference by beating two teams that went 2-0 on us during conference play,” Escobedo said.
For Zenson, the season also carried special meaning because it marked the final year that Campbell would serve as coach of the Lady Bulldogs.
“Some people are not as lucky as I am to have a coach who truly cares for them as much as Coach Campbell,” Zenson said. “He has not only pushed me to become a better player, but also a better Christian.”
Although Campbell’s retirement marks the end of an era, the Lady Bulldogs are already looking ahead. Associate Coach Sean Blackburn is set to take over the program next season.
Escobedo is excited and confident in Coach Blackburn.
“He’s very relational,” said Escobedo. “Having the whole team coming back, I’m excited to see where we pick back up.”
With a conference championship this season and key players returning, the Lady Bulldogs hope to build on their success and continue competing at a high level next year, even as they say goodbye to the most influential coach in program history.
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