NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The Union College women's basketball team dropped its second straight contest to start the 2023-24 season, falling by an 82-61 score at SUNY New Paltz on Saturday afternoon.
 
Junior Claudia Porto led Union (0-2) with a career-best and game-high 15 points, hitting 5-of-7 shots from the field, and also hauling in a team-leading eight rebounds and blocking three shots. Classmate Emma Riley also reached double figures with 10 points.
 
Abby Korzekwinski scored a team-leading 15 points and Morgan Hammell added a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds to pace New Paltz (1-0).
 
The game did not start well for the visitors, as Union started the contest 0-for-6 from the field and turned the ball over nine times as the Hawks jumped out to a 12-0 lead 5:32 into the game. The Garnet Chargers started to hit a few shots after that, but still went into the second period down by 14 at 22-8.
 
The visitors began the second stanza on a 7-0 run to get back within seven at 22-15, but New Paltz followed up with a 10-2 stretch to take a 34-19 advantage with 4:49 to go in the period. Union outscored New Paltz 5-3 the rest of the frame to go into halftime down by 13 points.
 
The Hawks grew their lead to as many as 19 points (57-38) at the end of the third quarter, and led by as many as 25 late in the final frame before buckets from senior Maddy Mandalinci and first-year Talia Weinstock in the final minute accounted for the final score.
 
Neither team shot the ball well on Saturday, with Union finishing at 34.9 percent from the field and New Paltz ending up at 35.3 percent, but the Hawks had 22 more looks at the net thanks to Union's 23 turnovers.
 
Union will have a quick turnaround, getting back into action on Monday with a non-conference matchup at Utica University at 6 p.m.