DUTCHMEN CAGERS DEFEAT ST. LAWRENCE , 62-57, IN KEY UCAA MATCHUP

SCHENECTADY , N.Y. - Junior forward Devon Bruce blocked the potential tying jump shot and Brian Scordato picked up the rebound then converted one of two free throws after being intentionally fouled to help Union hold to a 62-57 basketball victory over St. Lawrence Saturday afternoon in Memorial Field House.

Scordato, who led Union with 19 points, broke a 57-57 tie with a layup with just 1:07 remaining. The Saints' Ahmad Toussaint drove the lane then pulled up in an attempt to score the game-tying field goal. Bruce, however, rejected the shot with Scordato picking up the rebound. Nick Laettner was called for an intentional foul as he pushed Scordato from behind. Union 's sophomore forward missed the first of his two free throws before sinking the second to give the Dutchmen a 60-57 lead with 28 seconds remaining. The ball went back to Union forcing Aaron Marshall to foul Union sophomore point guard Chris Murphy. Murphy's two charity shots with 21 seconds remaining iced the win.

The victory was the 10 th in the last 11 games for the Dutchmen, who had their 10-game win streak snapped by Clarkson, 57-56, on Friday night. Union is 11-2 overall and 2-1 in the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association. St. Lawrence, meanwhile, dipped to 8-2 overall, 1-1 in the conference.

The first half saw the Dutchmen enjoy a seven-point lead, 14-7, with 15:33 on the clock as John Cangianello knocked down a tres. Union maintained a five to six point advantage until Jimmy White pulled the Saints back to within 24-22 at 5:41 with a layup. The game battled back and forth with six lead changes from 4:18 to 1:52 when Ryan Freundlich hit a jumper for a 31-30 Union advantage. Two free throws by Chris Murphy and a layup by Freundlich, who scored 12 of his 16 points in the opening half, enabled the Dutchmen to carry a 35-30 lead into the locker room.

Bruce and Frendulich each had eight rebounds as the Dutchmen finished with a 37-30 rebounding advantage. Bruce also chipped in with 11 points, the big block down the stretch and an assist. St. Lawrence had three double digit scorers in Aaron Marshall (14 points), Jimmy White (11), and Ahmad Toussaint, who finished with 10 markers. Toussaint was also the team's top rebounder with seven.