ITHACA, N.Y. – The Union College women's basketball team hung with #15 Ithaca College for three periods, but the Bombers outscored Union by 14 points in the final frame to pick up a 64-48 victory in Liberty League action on Friday night at Ben Light Gymnasium.
 
First-year Jelena Perovic was the lone scorer in double figures for Union (6-13, 4-9 Liberty League), recording a career-high for the third straight game with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field. Junior Maura Conan added eight points off the bench as well, while senior Megan Lee chipped in five points and a team-best seven rebounds.
 
Ithaca (17-2, 12-0 Liberty League) was led by Camryn Coffey, who scored a game-high 17 points, and Natalie Smith, who added 13 points.
 
Just as Union did in the teams' first meeting, the visitors clamped down defensively on the nationally ranked Bombers in the first 20 minutes, limiting Ithaca to 7-of-33 (21.2 percent) shooting. Union made more field goals and shot slightly better from the field (8 of 29), but the home team went 9-of-11 from the line to take a 26-22 lead into halftime.
 
After Ithaca scored the first four points of the contest, Union came back with a 5-0 run to take its first lead of the game, thanks to a pair of buckets by Perovic and a free throw by Lee. Union continued to play good defense to hang with the Bombers, with a bucket by senior Olivia Pachla putting the visitors up 7-6 and then five straight points from sophomores Emma Riley and Jenna Forman giving Union its largest lead at 12-10 with 1:39 left.
 
Trailing 18-14 early in the second period, Union went on a 7-2 run to take the lead back at 21-20, with Conan scoring the final five points. Ithaca closed with six points to take the largest lead of the half for either team (26-21) before a Riley free throw got Union within four after 20 minutes.
 
Union outscored Ithaca 18-17 in the third period, as the visitors remained within striking distance. The home team built up a 31-24 lead with 6:46 to go, but Perovic scored Union's next seven points to stay within four at 35-31. The visitors followed with an 8-2 run to knot the score at 39 before a late three gave the Bombers a 42-39 edge headed to the fourth.
 
Ithaca took control of the game in the final frame, however, outscoring Union by a 22-8 margin. After a Perovic layup kept it a three-point game early in the period, the Bombers went on a 17-5 run over the next 5:27, as Ithaca hit 6-of-8 shots from the field and also benefited from six Union turnovers to take a 61-46 lead with 2:04 remaining.
 
The home team heated up from the field in the second half, hitting 13-of-27 attempts in the final 20 minutes to end the game at 34.5 percent (20 of 58). Union also finished the game at 34.5 percent (19 of 55) from the field, but Ithaca outscored Union 19-7 from the free-throw line to find some separation.
 
Union will return to action tomorrow with a 2 p.m. tipoff at Bard College.