The Lions women’s basketball team lost their first conference game of the season 54-49 against Union in Flowers Hall Jan. 12.

The Lions led at the end of the first half 24-21 but fell behind by 13 with 8:43 left in the game.

“We were just disappointed that we got ourselves in that situation,” said UNA basketball coach Terry Fowler. “We need to figure out a way to put 40 minutes together.”

UNA fought all the way back to within two points of Union with 2:00 left.

“This team has great character and they are going to fight to the end,” Fowler said. “So I am not surprised that we were able to fight back and get into the ballgame.”

Union coach Mark Campbell called a timeout shortly after UNA player Mekena Randle’s layup brought the Lions within one shot of tying the game.

Randle led the Lions in rebounding with 10 and scoring with 15 points as she went 6-8 from the field and sunk 3-5 free throws in a performance that kept her team in the game.

Union’s timeout was successful as the Lions only scored three points the rest of the game.

“Today, offensively, we were just stagnant, but I think, defensively, we were fine,” Fowler said. “This is a team that averages 70 points, and we held them to score 54.”

The Lions shot 32.6 percent from the field, 10 percent less than their season average.

“Offensively, we didn’t move the ball well; we weren’t as sharp as we needed to be,” Fowler said.

Fowler did not seem too concerned about the Lions’ first conference loss of the season because of the amount of games they have left.

“We have 13 more ballgames in conference,” he said. “We need to really stay focused each day in practice on getting better and then giving the best effort we have on game day based on those practices.”

Fowler said the biggest thing the Lions need to work on this week in practice is getting the ball inside.

“We just have to do what we do: throw the ball inside and then react to (Shorter’s) post defense,” he said. “Whether we are going to kick it out for a three or pound it in the paint.”

The Lions will play Shorter Jan. 17 at home and then travel to the University of Alabama-Huntsville to play in a game that pits the top two teams in the conference against each other.