SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College men's basketball team shot a red-hot 61.7 percent from the field and hit 17-of-21 free-throw attempts over the final 3:24 of the contest as the Garnet Chargers outlasted Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute by a 91-86 score in a huge Liberty League matchup on Tuesday evening at Viniar Athletic Center.
 
Several players had big efforts for Union (9-7, 4-6 Liberty League) in the win, led by first-year Jack Plesser, who hit 10-of-12 shots from the field on the way to a season- and game-high 23 points. Classmate Tanner Tedesco also went for 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field and a 5-of-6 effort at the line, in addition to five rebounds and three assists. Seniors Luke McGarrity and Edward Baptiste both chipped in 12 points apiece and classmate Connor Cepiel hauled in a game-high seven rebounds as well for the home team.
 
Jonny Angbazo led three RPI (9-8, 6-4 Liberty League) players in double figures with 22 points. Avery Eugster added 14 points and a team-leading six rebounds while Dylan Matchett scored 14 for the visitors as well.
 
Union started off the game with a 7-0 run and never trailed for the entirety of the contest after a jumper by sophomore Aren Cummings 40 seconds in. The Engineers got within two at 11-9 before buckets by Plesser and classmate Matthew Garside upped the lead back to six. The home team responded well later in the frame as well when an Andrew Deppe layup made the score 21-20 in favor of Union, but six straight points from Plesser, McGarrity and Tedesco quickly brought the lead back to seven  (27-20) with 2:33 left. A late three by sophomore Christian Dufort gave Union its first double-digit lead of the night at 32-22 before a late RPI bucket made it a 32-24 game at the break.
 
Union shot 54.2 percent (13 of 24) from the field in the first half and limited RPI to 8-of-27 (29.6 percent) shooting over the opening 20 minutes.
 
The Garnet Chargers matched the Engineers' output to start the second half before taking control with a 14-3 run that put the home team up 52-33 with 13:51 remaining. The lead grew to as many as 19 after a Plesser turn-around made the score 63-44 in favor of Union with 8:40 on the clock, and Union did not allow RPI to work its way back over the next five minutes.
 
The Engineers resorted to fouling with about 3:30 left in the contest and, while RPI was able to claw back into the contest, Union showed great poise by sinking 17-of-21 attempts from the line over the final 3:24 of the game. RPI hit 11-of-13 shots from the field during the stretch, including five from long range, to keep the pressure on, and actually got within a possession after an Angbazo layup with 10 seconds left made it an 89-86 game. But Cepiel provided the final dagger with two free throws and a Garside steal in the waning seconds put a cap on a big conference win.
 
RPI took 23 more shots than Union thanks to its early fouling tactics, but the Engineers shot 45.7 percent (32 of 70) from the field while Union was an incredibly efficient 61.7 percent (29 for 47) from the field and 86.7 percent (26 of 30) from the line for the game.
 
Union will continue its four-game homestand with two more games this weekend, beginning with a Friday night matchup against Skidmore College set for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff at Viniar Athletic Center.