GENEVA, NY – The Union College men's basketball team has repeated as Liberty League champions, defeating Skidmore, 82-65, in the 2018 Liberty league championship game on Sunday afternoon at Bristol Gym.
 
What started as a back and forth contest ended in a Union blowout, and an automatic bid to the 2018 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament. The Dutchmen's opponent will be announced tomorrow, Monday, Feb. 26, at 12:30 p.m. (ET) on NCAA.com.
 
Union opened with a 7-0 run on the Thoroughbreds after two minutes of play. The final two points came courtesy of senior captain Matt Liquori using his superior strength and post-up technique to drive and bank in a basket. After seven minutes of play, however, the Thoroughbreds eventually pulled ahead of the Dutchmen, but a deep Jackson Mannix three followed by a Liquori fader tied the game at 15.
 
During the latter part of the first half, the game was tied several times as lead changes were rampant. Kevin McNoble flew all over the court to make plays during the first half, his most notable of which was a slick behind-the-back pass to freshman standout Rhona Eseyade who preceded to slam down a dunk. With seven minutes remaining in the first half, Skidmore called a timeout as Union led 23-22.
 
With three seconds left in the half, Union's season-leading scorer Kevin Weckworth drained a three pointer that set the score at 39-34 in favor of Union going into the second half. Per usual, Weckworth led Union in first-half points with 10. He was followed closely by McNoble with seven points who constantly chased the ball around the entire half. McNoble's consistent defensive pressure, superior passing, and skillful decision making was a significant factor in Union's first-half lead. As a team, Union shot an impressive 52-percent from the field during the first half.
 
During the opening minutes of the second half, Union used their possessions efficiently and shot well, leading to a double-digit lead after six minutes into the new half. Weckworth extended the lead to 56-40 when he surprised Skidmore's defense with a quick shift through three defenders for a diving layup with a free throw tacked on.
 
The Dutchmen continued to use creative ball movement to build on their lead, and Union broke the 60-point barrier midway through the second half when Liquori made another nice fade-away shot that set the score at 61-44.
 
With less than five minutes left in the game, Weckworth scored his 30th point of the afternoon following a free throw that brought Union's lead to 24 with 4:13 remaining in the second half.
 
Union continued to build on its lead, and senior captain Aaron Gordon hit some clutch free throws and displayed good decision making with smart ball movement in the final minutes of the game.
 
The opening round of the 2018 NCAA Div. III Men's Basketball Tournament will take place on Friday, March 2. Follow UnionAthletics.com for more information about Union's opponent and game information.