SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Sophomore
Edward Baptiste led all players with a season-high 16 points as the Union College men's basketball team started off Liberty League play with a commanding 71-51 victory over St. Lawrence University on Friday night at Viniar Athletic Center.
Baptiste was huge off the bench for Union (3-2, 1-0 Liberty League), hitting 7-of-11 shots from the field and adding three rebounds and two blocks. Senior
Brian Noone also came up big with 15 points and eight boards, while junior
Willy Samsen added eight points and eight caroms off the bench as well. Led by Baptiste and Samsen, the Union bench outscored their St. Lawrence (4-1, 0-1 Liberty League) counterparts 29-16.
The visitors took an early lead and maintained their advantage for the first 11 minutes, leading by as many as six after a Will Engelhardt jumper put the Saints up 16-10 with 10:51 to go in the opening half. However, an 8-0 run on threes by Samsen and senior
Mike Manley sandwiched between an alley-oop dunk from Manley to Baptiste put the Dutchmen up 18-16 and the home team never trailed from there.
The Dutchmen closed the half on an 11-2 run to take a 31-22 lead into halftime. Baptiste started the run with another dunk and had a team-high four points during the stretch, which also included a Noone three and buckets by Samsen and junior
Justin Regis.
Union shot 41.2 percent (14 of 34) from the field in the opening half and also made the Saints pay for their miscues, converting eight turnovers into 13 points.
Back-to-back baskets from senior
Temi George and junior
Mike Caporale out of the intermission extended Union's lead to double figures, where it stayed for a majority of the second stanza. The Union defense did not allow St. Lawrence to score on more than two straight possessions the rest of the way, as the home team did not allow its lead to fall beneath eight.
Union shot 48.4 percent (15 of 31) in the second half to finish at 44.6 percent for the evening. The Dutchmen limited St. Lawrence to 37.5 percent (18 of 48) shooting and also posted a 42-30 edge on the glass, contributing to a 15-2 advantage in second-chance points.
The Dutchmen will look to keep the momentum going tomorrow, when Union hosts Clarkson University for a 4 p.m. tipoff at Viniar Athletic Center.
