POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – Despite a 48-35 edge on the glass, the Union College women's basketball team turned the ball over 28 times in suffering a 60-54 defeat to Vassar College in Liberty League action on Tuesday night at AFC Gymnasium.
 
Senior Amber Raisner led Union (1-4, 1-2 Liberty League) with 11 points, followed by classmate Darby Leid, who just missed a double-double with 10 points to go with nine rebounds, five assists and four steals. Junior Olivia Pachla chipped in nine points and seven boards as well for the visitors.
 
The Dutchwomen struggled to take care of the basketball on Tuesday, giving up 28 turnovers that Vassar (3-5, 3-0 Liberty League) converted into 24 points. Union limited the Brewers to just 33.3 percent (21 of 63) shooting from the field, but connected on just 37.3 percent (22 of 59) of their own attempts, including a 2-of-16 mark from long range.
 
Raisner got Union on the board first 55 seconds into the opening frame and the visitors remained in front for much of the next four minutes, helped by a jumper from junior Kendall Degenhardt that made it an 8-7 game with 5:20 left. But Vassar responded with a 14-4 run to take a 21-12 lead before a Raisner three cut the deficit to six after 10 minutes.
 
Vassar led by as many as 12 (28-16) early in the second stanza before Union went on a big run, a 12-1 stretch over nearly eight minutes to get back within a point at the half. Six different players had a basket for the Dutchwomen during the run, while the defense forced Vassar to miss its final 11 shots of the period.
 
Union could never get back in front in the third quarter despite using six straight points to knot the score at 41 after a pair of Degenhardt freebies with 2:47 left. Back-to-back Brewer buckets put the home team ahead 45-41 headed to the fourth.
 
Pachla kept Union in the game in the fourth frame by scoring seven of the team's first nine points, the last coming on a three-point play that made it a 52-50 game in favor of Vassar with 4:42 left. Both teams exchanged missed shots for the next few minutes, with the Brewer lead eventually extending to six in the final minute when Ashley Hansen sunk a long jumper that the referees ruled came before the shot clock expired. Senior Anna Metcalf hit a quick layup to get back within four, but Vassar bled the clock again on its next possession and Union ran out of time to complete a comeback.
 
Union will play its final game before the holiday break on Friday when the Dutchwomen travel to Trinity (Conn.) College for a 5 p.m. tipoff.