SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Junior Megan Lee hit 9-of-10 shots from the field on the way to a career-high 21 points to help Katie Marcella to her first win as head coach of the Union College women's basketball team as the Dutchwomen ran away with a 70-48 victory over Clarkson University in Liberty League action on Saturday afternoon at Viniar Athletic Center.
 
Lee missed just one shot in total on the day, hitting all but one of her 10 field-goal attempts and sinking all three free throws, and also added six rebounds. Seniors Darby Leid (14 points) and Amber Raisner (11 points) both reached double figures as well, while junior Olivia Pachla had her most productive game in the garnet and white with six points, a team-high eight rebounds and three assists.
 
Leid gave Union its first lead 58 seconds into the game and the home team never trailed, as junior Kendall Degenhardt sunk two free throws to put Union up for good at 4-2 with 7:23 left. The Dutchwoman defense took over later in the frame, holding Clarkson without a field goal for the final 4:16 to take a 23-11 lead into the second. The home team shot 52.9 percent (9 for 17) in the period and limited the visitors to just 3-of-10 shooting.
 
The Union lead never fell into single digits in the second stanza, growing to as many as 19 points after a Lee fast-break bucket put the Dutchwomen up 35-16 with 3:37 on the clock. A brief 7-0 run to close the quarter for Clarkson made the score 37-25 at the break, despite Union's 24-10 edge in the paint and 14-4 advantage in points off turnovers.
 
Another Clarkson run – this time eight straight points – got the Golden Knights within seven at 40-33 at the midway point of the third quarter, as Union managed only three free throws over the first 5:38 before Leid finally broke the drought with a jumper. Despite Union's 2-of-10 shooting in the quarter, the home team still went into the final frame up 47-40.
 
Union increased the intensity on both sides of the court in the fourth, hitting 9-of-16 shots from the field and limiting Clarkson to 1-of-13 shooting in outscoring the visitors by a 23-8 margin. Lee and Leid single-handedly led the charge for Union, combining for the team's first 13 points of the quarter as a 15-4 run helped to seal the win.
 
Union finished the game shooting 44.1 percent (26 of 59) from the field and grabbed a season-high 43 rebounds, leading to a 36-18 edge in scoring in the paint and a 17-4 edge in fast-break points.
 
Union will return to action on Tuesday, when the team travels to Vassar College for a Liberty League matchup beginning at 5:30 p.m.