ALBANY, N.Y. – The Union College women's basketball team closed out the 2023 calendar year with a 52-42 loss to Russell Sage College in a non-conference matchup on Saturday afternoon at Kahl Campus Center.
 
Junior Emma Riley scored a team-leading 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting in just 15 minutes off the bench for Union (3-7), while classmate Jenna Forman chipped in eight points, a team-best eight rebounds and three blocks for the visitors.
 
Layla Acosta paced Russell Sage (2-8) with a game-high 17 points, followed in double figures by Malena Gereau (16 points) and Olivia Huneau (10 points).
 
Union started slowly over the first two minutes, with Sage taking an early 5-2 lead, but the defense limited the Gators to 1-of-7 shooting the rest of the way. The visitors closed on an 8-2 run to take a 10-7 lead after 10 minutes, with five players recording two points each in the frame.
 
A 7-0 run built up the team's largest lead of the game at 17-9 at the midway point of the second stanza, with Forman and Riley connecting on buckets and senior Kennedy Clark adding a three-pointer. Layups by Forman built the lead back up to eight again on two more occasions, the last coming with 3:20 left that put the Garnet Chargers ahead 21-13. The visitors went into the half holding a 21-18 lead.
 
Union still lead 27-23 after a pair of free throws by senior Grace Enselek with 6:32 left in the third period, but Russell Sage outscored Union 11-2 over the final 4:14 to take a 34-29 lead into the fourth frame.
 
Riley attempted to keep Union in the game down the stretch, scoring the team's first nine points of the final stanza, but a four-minute scoreless stretch allowed the home team to build up a 45-33 lead with 3:56 remaining. The Garnet Chargers got within seven after a Forman layup with 1:42 on the clock, but the Gators responded on the next possession and hit enough free throws in the waning minutes to secure the win.
 
Union shot 28.8 percent (17 of 59) from the field and 14.3 percent (2 of 14) from long range in the defeat, while Russell Sage hit fewer shots (15 of 47) from the field but got to the line 20 times and made 16 (80.0 percent) to make up the difference.
 
Union will return to action after the New Year, kicking off a string of 15 straight Liberty League contests on Friday at Ithaca College.