SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Junior Maura Conan led three Union College players in double figures with a game-high 15 points as the Union women's basketball team jumped out to an early lead and never let up in a 61-47 victory over Rochester Institute of Technology on Friday night at Viniar Athletic Center.
 
Coming off the bench for the first time this season, Conan responded with a career-high 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field, including a 3-of-5 mark from long range. Senior Megan Lee and junior Kennedy Clark added 13 points apiece for Union (4-9, 2-5 Liberty League), with both players adding a team-best four assists and Lee grabbing a game-high seven rebounds as well.
 
Emma Waite was the only RIT (4-9, 2-4 Liberty League) player in double figures with 15 points.
 
Union led for a majority of the opening frame after spotting RIT an early 4-0 lead, with two buckets from Lee and a jumper by senior Kendall Degenhardt putting Union in front for the first time at 6-4. The visitors took their last lead of the game at 12-11 after a Waite three with 3:07 left in the first, but a free throw by senior Elizabeth Pica started a 7-0 run to end the frame, capped by four straight from Lee to put the home team up 18-12 after 10 minutes.
 
The Dutchwomen never trailed in the second stanza, forcing six turnovers and limiting RIT to just nine field goal attempts in the frame. The lead grew to eight points after a three from sophomore Emma Riley with 5:37 on the clock, and eventually became a 10-point advantage headed into halftime thanks to three straight buckets from Conan, senior Olivia Pachla, and sophomore Claudia Porto.
 
The home team ended any idea of an RIT comeback by scoring the first nine points of the third quarter, keeping the Tigers off the scoreboard for over five minutes. Conan's three with 5:10 left made it a 19-point game at 41-22, the team's largest lead of the night. RIT never got within single digits the rest of the way as Union was able to cruise through the final frame to secure their second conference victory of the season.
 
Union shot 36.1 percent (22 of 61) from the field on the night, but shot better from three-point land (7 of 18) and turned the ball over a season-low seven times. RIT shot 36.5 percent (19 of 52) from the field, but connected on only 5-of-24 three-point attempts and was forced into 20 turnovers.
 
Union will look to keep the momentum going tomorrow with a 2 p.m. tipoff against William Smith College.