GENEVA, N.Y. – The Union College defense forced 24 turnovers and converted them into 27 points at the other end as the women's basketball team started Liberty League play with a strong 67-56 win over host William Smith College on Friday night at Bristol Gymnasium.
 
Senior Sophie Borg returned to the lineup after missing two games and led Union (3-1, 1-0 Liberty League) with 17 points, hitting 5-of-8 shots from the field and also going 7-of-9 from the line. Classmate Nicole Conley also just missed her third straight double-double with 12 points and nine boards as part of a well-rounded effort that saw all nine players record at least one point.
 
Union seemed to get stronger as the game went on, shooting the ball better from the field in every subsequent quarter. After 9-of-32 shooting over the first two quarters, the Dutchwomen connected on 15-of-27 attempts (.556) in the final two frames to pull away.
 
The first quarter was a defensive struggle for both sides, with the two teams combining for just 21 points. The visitors led 9-5 after a Conley basket, but William Smith (2-2, 0-1 Liberty League) scored the final eight points to take a 13-9 lead after 10 minutes of play.

The lead switched hands five times in the second quarter, but Union earned the final lead change of the night thanks to a three from sophomore Corina Lindsay that put Union up 23-21 with 3:05 on the clock. Four straight points from freshman Laura Vinton helped the Dutchwomen to a 27-24 lead at the half.
 
William Smith battled back to tie the score at 30 early in the third quarter, but Union's two seniors responded with six straight points to keep the visitors ahead. A Borg bucket just before the buzzer helped Union to a 48-40 lead after three periods.
 
Union then took control of the game early in the fourth quarter, scoring the first seven points to grab a 15-point lead at 55-40. After a Heron three, back-to-back buckets from Lindsay and Borg gave the Dutchwomen their largest lead of the game at 59-43 with 4:30 remaining and the visitors cruised from there, allowing the Herons no closer than nine points and sinking 6-of-8 attempts from the line down the stretch to secure the win.
 
Union finished the game shooting 40.7 percent (24 of 59) from the field while holding William Smith to a 35.7 percent (20 of 56) clip at the other end. The Dutchwomen won the game by taking care of the basketball, recording only nine turnovers while forcing 24.
 
Union will continue its league-opening weekend tomorrow afternoon, when the Dutchwomen travel to Rochester to take on unbeaten Rochester Institute of Technology at 2 p.m.