ITHACA, N.Y. – The Union College men's basketball team staged a late-game rally to trim a 17-point deficit to just three, but the Garnet Chargers could not complete the comeback and fell by an 86-80 score to Ithaca College in a Liberty League matchup on Friday night at Ben Light Gymnasium.
 
First-year Matthew Garside led three Union (5-5, 0-4 Liberty League) players in double figures with 17 points, hitting 5-of-7 shots from the field and adding three assists. Sophomore Aren Cummings hit 6-of-8 shots on the way to a 16-point night to go with five rebounds and five steals, while senior Luke McGarrity netted 13 points as well for the visitors.
 
Ithaca (7-3, 2-1 Liberty League) was led by the one-two punch of Triston Wennersten and Logan Wendell, who scored 27 and 25 points, respectively, to will their team to a victory.
 
The Garnet Chargers jumped out to an early 7-2 lead thanks to a three from sophomore Neil Daterao in his first collegiate start and back-to-back jumpers from senior Edward Baptiste. After 10 straight points put the Bombers in front, Union came back with seven in a row, including five from McGarrity, to retake the lead at 16-14 with 9:31 remaining in the period. Another McGarrity bucket gave Union its last lead at 20-19, but the home team responded with 11 straight points and answered every Union basket with one of their own to take a 44-32 lead at the half.
 
The Garnet Chargers shot 55.6 percent (15 of 27) from the field in the opening half, but the Bombers shot 17-of-33 (51.5 percent) and sunk nine three-pointers to build up their advantage.
 
Ithaca built up its lead to as many as 17 points in the second half, but threes from Garside and senior Connor Cepiel helped the visitors hang around. Down by 14 with 6:44 on the clock, the Garnet Chargers used an 11-0 run to get back within five at 69-64, with Cummings scoring five points and both McGarrity and Garside sinking threes. Ithaca looked to create some separation with six straight free throws by Wendell that put the Bombers up 11 with 2:53 left, but Union surged back with seven points in 32 seconds, helped by steals from Garside and Cummings that led to five Garside points.
 
Cepiel answered an Ithaca free throw with a layup to get the visitors within one possession at 78-75 with 1:25 on the clock, but Wendell responded with an off-balance jumper with 1:05 left to make it a five-point game again. Sophomore Christian Dufort responded with a tough basket under the hoop to again get make it a three-point game, but the Bombers went 6-for-7 at the charity stripe in the final 38 seconds to secure the victory.
 
Union had one of its best shooting days of the season, hitting 49.2 percent (30 of 61) from the field, but missed 11-of-23 attempts from the charity stripe in a game that saw Ithaca hit 18-of-24 free throws and shoot 48.3 percent (29 of 60) from the field.
 
Union will return to action tomorrow with a 4 p.m. game at Skidmore College.