TROY, N.Y. – The Union College women's basketball team jumped out to a 16-2 lead after one quarter and cruised from there as the Dutchwomen earned a 63-41 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Liberty League action on Friday night at RPI's East Campus Arena.
 
Senior Amber Raisner led Union (5-10, 3-6 Liberty League) with a game-high 16 points, hitting 5-of-7 shots from the field and all six free-throw attempts. Junior Megan Lee just missed a double-double with nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds, while classmate Olivia Pachla added eight points, five boards, three steals and three blocks.
 
Despite shooting 36.5 percent (19 of 52) for the game, Union had an excellent effort at the charity stripe, sinking 22-of-25 attempts (88.0 percent). The 22 free throws are the most in a game since February 16, 2019 against William Smith College, while the 88.0 percent success rate is the highest since sinking 20-of-22 attempts versus Rochester Institute of Technology on February 21, 2016.
 
Friday's game was essentially decided in the opening 10 minutes, as Union limited RPI to 1-of-14 shooting from the field and scored 16 of the period's 18 points to take command of the game. Lee opened the scoring with a layup from Raisner, followed by back-to-back Raisner buckets to increase the lead. Three free throws from senior Anna Metcalf continued the run before RPI got on the board with 4:56 left in the quarter, and the Dutchwomen followed with seven unanswered points to end the frame.
 
RPI (3-11, 2-7 Liberty League) started the second stanza with six of the first eight points, but Union responded with a 13-2 run, led by five points from senior Laura Vinton, to build up a commanding 31-10 lead with less than two minutes left in the half.
 
The Dutchwomen outscored RPI 14-10 in the third quarter and then kept their foot on the gas in the fourth period, as Raisner and Lee led Union on a 12-1 run that opened up the largest lead of the game at 57-27 with 5:22 remaining in the game. The home team used a 12-4 run to close the final gap, but the game had long ago been decided.
 
Union finished the game with a 40-30 edge in rebounding, with 10 offensive boards leading to a 15-1 edge in second-chance points. The Dutchwomen also recorded 14 steals and five blocks in a well-rounded victory.
 
Union will be back in action tomorrow afternoon, as the team makes another short trip to Skidmore College for a 2 p.m. tipoff with the Thoroughbreds.