SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Alexa Mustafaj scored a game-high 36 points to lead Middlebury College to a 68-50 victory over Union College in non-conference women's basketball action on Monday night at Viniar Athletic Center.
 
Sophomore Jelena Perovic netted a team-high 15 points to lead three Garnet Chargers in double figures while adding seven rebounds and two steals. Senior Kennedy Clark chipped in 12 points and three steals while junior Claudia Porto scored 10 points for Union (1-3). No player had more than seven points for Middlebury (3-3) other than Mustafaj, who hit 12-of-25 shots from the field to almost single-handedly drag her team to a victory.
 
Perovic led Union with nine points and five rebounds during the opening 20 minutes, followed by Porto with eight points and Clark with seven as part of a well-balanced attack. Middlebury was carried on the back of Mustafaj, who poured in 21 of her team's first-half 29 points.
 
Union started the game on a 7-0 run, but the offense dried up for the home team after that, as Union went over eight minutes without a point and allowed the Panthers to take a 15-7 lead after one frame.
 
The home team heated up from the field in the second stanza, hitting 9-of-16 attempts from the field to take back the lead into halftime. Five points from Clark and a Porto layup started the quarter on a 7-0 mini-run once again, but the Garnet Chargers did not get back in front until an 8-2 run put Union up 26-25 with 3:10 on the clock. The teams traded leads down the stretch, but Union scored the final three points of the frame to take a one-point edge into the locker room.
 
The Panthers used a 9-1 to start the third period to take back the lead at 38-32 at the middle point of the stanza, before Perovic hit the team's first field goal of the frame with 4:17 on the clock. The teams traded points the rest of the way and Union went into the fourth quarter very much in the game down 43-39.
 
The offense improved slightly in the final frame but unfortunately so did Middlebury's, as the Panthers shot 10-of-14 (71.4 percent) from the field and hit 4-of-5 three-point attempts to outscore the Garnet Chargers by 14 over the final 10 minutes. Union was still within range after a Clark three made the score 52-46 with 7:07 on the clock, but the visitors outscored Union 16-4 the rest of the way to close out the game.
 
Union finished the game shooting 34.5 percent (19 of 55) from the field, compared to 42.1 percent (24 of 57) for Middlebury. The Panthers also posted a 43-29 edge in the glass, including 14 offensive rebounds that resulted in 12 second-chance points.
 
Union will look to get back on track with the start of Liberty League play on Friday, when the team hosts William Smith College for 5:30 p.m. at Viniar Athletic Center.