Box Score

SCHENECTADY, NY - Rusmir Dzanko matched his career-high 19 points as the Union College men's basketball team defeated Hamilton 80-71 on Friday at Viniar Athletic Center.

The win gives Union it's first Liberty League win this season and puts them 4-7 overall and 1-1 in the league. Hamilton moves to 5-6 overall and 1-1 in league play.

Union shot 64 percent from the field. Dzanko went nine-for-12 in field goals while Matt Covucci led the Dutchmen in rebounds with eight.

Hamilton's Ephram McDowell led the game with 28 points and Ken Click led the Continentals in rebounds with seven.

Both teams started slow but as Hamilton's Pat Sullivan delivered a three-point shot, it gave the Continentals a 10-6 lead with 15:49 left in the first half. Hamilton's four-point lead was it's largest in the game.

However, a pair of three-point shots by Joey Lokitis and Drew Goldstein gave the Dutchmen a 14-10 lead. Union never trailed the rest of the half and entered halftime with a 36-26 lead.

The five Dutchmen starters, Lokitis, Goldstein, Mason, Dzanko and Matt Covucci, played no lower than 15 minutes throughout the first half and combined 30 points throughout the first half. Keven Donohue came off the bench and put six points on the board.

Donohue and Evan Croll were the own Dutchmen that came off the bench. Croll played 17 minutes and Donohue only played 12 and together they combined 14 points.

Union's largest lead was 10 points. Union first 10-point lead was when Dzanko made a successful free throw with 2:56 left. Union completed its second 10-point lead when Mason made two successful free throws with 1:26 left in the game.

Union returns to action on Saturday to face Hobart at 4 p.m.