ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Emma Waite scored a game-high 23 points to lead Rochester Institute of Technology to a 60-43 victory over Union College in Liberty League women's basketball action on Friday night at Clark Gymnasium.
Junior
Megan Lee was the lone Dutchwoman to reach double figures in scoring, netting 11 points and also grabbing a team-best seven rebounds. Senior
Laura Vinton added seven points and junior
Olivia Pachla grabbed seven rebounds for Union (3-8, 1-4 Liberty League).
Waite hit 8-of-12 shots to lead RIT (7-4, 4-2 Liberty League) with 23 points, while Kaleesha Joseph added 12 points and nine boards and Alyssa Juergens posted 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Union hit only 3-of-17 shots from the field in the opening 10 minutes, as the Tigers jumped out to a 17-8 lead. The home team scored the first 10 points of the game to take the early advantage and led by as many as 11 before taking a nine-point lead at the end of the first frame.
The RIT lead reached as high as 13 points on multiple occasions in the second quarter, but Union closed the second quarter on a 12-5 run to get back into the game. The visitors finished the frame with five straight points, getting a free throw from Vinton and four points from Lee to close the gap to 32-26 at the half.
Despite RIT shooting 58.3 percent (7 of 12) in the second quarter and 51.9 percent (14 of 27) in the half, Union stayed in the game by getting to the free-throw line 14 times and grabbing 12 offensive rebounds that led to 11 second-chance points.
The teams combined for just six field goals and 16 points in the third quarter, as RIT outscored Union 12-4 to increase its lead to 14 at 44-30. The Dutchwomen were unable to cut into the deficit in the fourth period, getting no closer than 16 points.
Union finished the night shooting only 21.2 percent (14 of 66) from the field and 2-of-16 from long range. RIT shot 44.4 percent (24 of 54) from the field for the evening.
Union will finish off the weekend tomorrow with a Liberty League matchup at William Smith College beginning at 2 p.m. in Geneva.
