SCHENECTADY, NY -- Natale Leone scored a career high 20 points but the Union College women's basketball team lost for the first time this season, 77-69 to host St.John Fisher in the championship game of the Woodcliff Hotel and Spa Invitational.
The Cardinals used a 14-1 run late in the fourth quarter to rally for the victory. With the win, Fisher, currently receiving votes in the D3hoops.com national poll, improves to 4-0 overall, while the Dutchwomen fall to 2-1.
Leone made nine of 10 free throws and added six rebounds and three assists with three steals.
Jenni Barra scored 11 points and
Amy Fisher and
Abby Katz added 10 points each for the Dutchwomen. Katz also had five rebounds. Freshman
Sophie Borg scored 10 points off the bench for Union.
The Cardinals scored the game's first six points and Jessica Rhone's layup with 20 seconds left in the first quarter gave Fisher a 21-16 lead. Fisher used a 13-2 run midway through the second quarter to take its biggest lead of the game at 39-25 with four minutes in the opening half, but the Dutchwomen ended the period with a 13-2 run of their own, to cut Fisher's lead to 43-41 at the break.
Union tied the game at 43-43 on the first possession of the third quarter, but the Cardinals answered, Fisher went on an 11-0 run – before a Union 3-pointer by Barra at the buzzer – over the final five minutes of the third to take a 58-49 lead going into the fourth. Fisher led 62-51 on a layup from McKenzie Bezon with 7:44 left, but Union went on an 11-0 run over the next 2:30 to tie the game at 62-62 with just over five minutes left. Emily Piacentini scored eight straight Fisher points, including back-to-back 3-pointers to put her team up 11 with under two minutes to go. Another layup from Robinson capped the 14-1 run and sealed the win.
Piacentini led the Cardinals with 15 points and six assists. Carney and Robinson each scored 14 points. Carney led Fisher with seven rebounds, while Robinson grabbed five boards, and St. John Fisher had a 31-25 rebounding advantage.
Union has back-to-back non league games this week. The Dutchwomen are at Hamilton Wednesday at 7 p.m. and at SUNY Cobleskill Thursday at 5 p.m.
