SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – On Thursday night at the Viniar Athletic Center, the Union College men's basketball team got off to a slow start and could not recover as the Dutchmen fell to Bard College in a Liberty League battle, 90-72.
 
Freshman guard Mike Manley led Union (8-10, 4-8 Liberty League) in scoring with 12 points as he converted 4-7 from the field. Sophomore Rhona Eseyade and freshman Brian Noone added 11 points apiece off the bench for the Dutchmen, with Eseyade adding 10 boards for his first career double-double. 
 
Union fell victim to a red-hot Raptor squad, as Bard started the game on a 20-0 run on perfect 8-8 shooting from the field. While the visitors cooled off eventually, Union could get no closer than 19 points for the remainder of the half thanks to 8-of-27 shooting from the field and nine turnovers that led to 16 Bard points. Bard finished off the half with a steal and a basket to take a 51-22 lead into the half.
 
Union looked to the bench for some energy in the second half and the reserves responded, going on a 21-0 run to get within 16 (70-54) with 8:12 remaining. Noone led the charge with eight points and Eseyade added five, as the Dutchmen limited Bard to 0-for-4 shooting and five turnovers during the 4:20 stretch.
 
Union's second half run proved to be not enough, however, as the deficit proved to be too much to overcome. Union finished the game shooting 40.6 percent (28 of 69) from the field and just 6-of-27 from beyond the arc.
 
Union will look to shake off the loss on Friday, when the Dutchmen host Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute beginning at 7 p.m. at the Viniar Athletic Center.