SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College men's basketball team could not keep up with a hot-shooting Ithaca College squad in the first half, the Bombers raced out to an early lead on the way to an 89-74 win over the Dutchmen in Liberty League action on Friday night at the Viniar Athletic Center.
 
Sophomore Jackson Mannix had a double-double for Union (4-4, 1-2 Liberty League) with a team-high 15 points and 10 rebounds, while senior Brendan Laing added 12 points with six boards for the home team.
 
The first half was the deciding 20 minutes in Friday's contest, as the Bombers outscored the Dutchmen 50-32 to take control of the game early. Union led 5-4 following a layup from sophomore Temi George 3:16 into the contest, but Ithaca scored 12 of the next 14 points to take a 16-7 advantage with 11:12 left.
 
The deficit was still nine for Union with 3:35 remaining before Ithaca's Riley Thompson and Bryan Karl went on a 13-0 run, with Thompson recording a pair of three-point plays and Karl netting a three-pointer to go with a four-point play of his own.
 
In the opening 20 minutes, Ithaca boasted a 16-2 edge in fast-break points and only turned the ball over twice, while also converting 11 Union turnovers into 16 points at the other end.
 
Union could not get closer than 16 points for most of the second half until a bucket by Giuseppe de Spuches in the final minute that accounted for the final score. For the game, Union shot 40.0 percent (28 of 70) from the field, but were done in by Ithaca's 25-4 edge in points off turnovers.
 
Union will get right back into Liberty League play tomorrow, when the Dutchmen host Skidmore College for a 4 p.m. tipoff at the Viniar Athletic Center.