SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Sophomore Brendan Reid recorded a double-double of 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds to lead five Garnet Chargers in double figures as the Union College men's basketball team outlasted Sarah Lawrence College by a 72-65 score on Wednesday evening at Viniar Athletic Center.
 
Union (2-0) spread around the offense on Wednesday night, with all eight players recording at least one bucket but nobody scoring more than 12. Reid was joined in the 12-point club by junior Christian Dufort and sophomores Jack Plesser and Matthew Garside, while fellow sophomore Jaden Jauregui chipped in 10 points. Sophomore Tanner Tedesco also chipped in seven points, seven assists and six rebounds.
 
After scoring almost at will in Wednesday's season-opener, Union had to grind out a victory on Wednesday. The home team shot 39.3 percent (24 of 61) from the field but also hit 12-of-23 attempts from long range (52.2 percent), while holding the Gryphons to 35.8 percent (24 of 67) shooting overall.
 
Sarah Lawrence made the first run of the evening at the 7:00 mark of the opening half, rattling off 11 straight points to turn a 12-9 deficit into the largest lead of the half for either side at 20-12 with 11:33 on the clock. But Garside responded with three-pointers on Union's next two possessions to stem the tide and get the home team back within a possession.
 
A three-pointer by junior Neil Daterao with 9:13 remaining jumpstarted Union's best stretch of the half, a 15-5 run that gave the Garnet Chargers their largest lead of the frame at 34-28 with 3:16 left. Dufort had a team-leading eight points during the run, during which Union shot 6-of-11 from the field and held SLC to 2-of-12 shooting. 
 
Union went into the break with a 36-33 advantage after shooting 41.9 percent (13 of 31) from the field and 66.7 percent (6 of 9) from long range. Sarah Lawrence finished the opening 20 minutes at 41.4 percent (12 of 29) and 7-of-16 (43.8 percent) from beyond the arc.

Union maintained a consistent advantage between five and eight points for much of the second half's opening 10 minutes, but an 8-1 run put the Gryphons on top by a 56-55 score with 8:27 remaining. However, the Garnet Chargers had an excellent response, scoring 13 straight points to take a 68-56 lead with 4:33 on the clock. Sophomore Aren Cummings started the run with a jumper, and Garside hit two more clutch threes and Jauregui added one of his own as part of the game-changing stretch.
 
Sarah Lawrence whittled the lead down to five (70-65) with 1:19 left, but the home team hit enough free throws down the stretch to clinch the win.
 
One of Union's biggest advantages came at the line, as the home team got to the charity stripe 18 times while only committing seven fouls and giving SLC only four attempts at the free-throw line.
 
Union will take some time off for finals before returning to action on Tuesday, November 26 at 6 p.m. against St. John Fisher College.