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SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – After scoring 20 points in the first two quarters combined, the Union College women's basketball team netted 20 in each of the final two frames to storm back and defeat Skidmore College, 60-47, in a key Liberty League matchup on Saturday afternoon at Viniar Athletic Center.
 
Senior Nicole Conley led all scorers with 20 points and added eight rebounds, four blocks and three steals in another all-around effort for Union (7-3, 2-2 Liberty League). Freshman Amber Raisner was huge off the bench, scoring all of her season-high 12 points in the second half and adding five rebounds and three steals, while junior Elly Vaughan chipped in eight points, six rebounds and two blocks in 22 minutes as well.
 
Saturday's game was a tale of two halves. Skidmore (3-9, 2-3 Liberty League) outscored Union 30-20 over the first 20 minutes to take a 10-point lead into halftime, but Union regained control with a dominant 20-5 third quarter and then put up 20 again in the fourth to close out the contest.
 
Both teams finished the game with 19 field goals and three three-pointers, meaning that the game was decided at the charity stripe: the Dutchwomen went to the line 24 times and hit 19 (79.3 percent), while the Thoroughbreds made only seven trips and hit six (85.7 percent). The 13 more free throws hit by the home team accounted for the final margin of victory.
 
Union struggled from the floor in the first quarter, missing 18-of-21 shots as Skidmore built up a lead of as many as 13 points before a bucket from freshman Laura Vinton made it an 18-7 score after one. The visitors led by double figures for much of the second stanza as well and took a 30-20 edge into the locker rooms.
 
After the teams traded buckets to start the third, Union went on a 13-0 run to take back the lead. Junior Joana Santos started the rally with two free throws and Conley chipped in seven points of her own before sophomore Corina Lindsay put Union back on top with a three-pointer. Skidmore's Lilly Berg ended the run and tied the score at 35, but five unanswered points put the Dutchwomen ahead headed to the fourth.
 
Raisner then started to take over in the fourth quarter, scoring eight points thanks to 6-of-6 shooting from the charity stripe and adding three boards, three steals and two blocks in the final 10 minutes. As a team, Union went 8-for-8 from the line in the final frame to secure the victory.
 
The Union bench played a major role in the victory, as the reserves – Raisner, Linsday, Vinton, sophomore IreLee Ferguson and senior Sophie Borg – combined to outscore their Skidmore counterparts by a 26-9 margin and added a combined 14 rebounds and four blocks.
 
Union will continue its five-game homestand next weekend, beginning with a Friday night matchup with Clarkson University beginning at 5 p.m. at Viniar Athletic Center.