ITHACA, N.Y. – The incredible late-season run of the Union College women's basketball team came to an end on Saturday afternoon in the semifinals of the Liberty League Tournament, as the fourth-seeded Dutchwomen had their seven-game winning streak snapped by top-seeded and #23/24 Ithaca College by a 69-48 score at Ben Light Gymnasium.
 
Entering the game riding one of the longest winning streaks in program history, Union (13-13) ran into a deep and talented Ithaca (23-3) team that ran its own winning streak to 18 games and advanced to the conference title game for the fourth straight season.
 
Junior Olivia Pachla had a good effort for the Dutchwomen in a losing effort, leading all players with 14 points (on 7-of-12 shooting) and 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. Senior Darby Leid added 10 points for the visitors, while classmates Anna Metcalf and Laura Vinton chipped in four points each in their final collegiate contests.
 
Playing without the services of leading scorer Amber Raisner, the Dutchwomen came out of the gates slowly and never recovered. Union shot 2-of-13 and turned the ball over seven times in the opening 10 minutes, giving the Bombers the chance to race out to a 20-5 lead after one quarter. Ithaca, meanwhile connected on its first five shots hit 9-of-17 total attempts to take the early advantage.
 
The visitors whittled the lead down to 11 twice in the second quarter on buckets by Leid and sophomore Kennedy Clark, but Union was unable to make a sustained run to get back into the contest. The Dutchwomen played the Bombers even (30-30) in the second half, but the early deficit was too much to overcome.
 
Despite the loss, Union finishes the season with a .500 record despite sitting at 3-9 in the middle of January. The Dutchwomen closed the year with 10 wins in their final 14 games, with three of those four defeats coming to Ithaca, and will look to carry that momentum into the 2022-23 season.