SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – All 13 players recorded at least one basket and several Garnet Chargers filled up the stat sheet as the Union College women's basketball team cruised to a 77-27 victory over Mount Holyoke College in non-conference action on Tuesday evening at Viniar Athletic Center.
 
Union (3-3) put together a solid effort on both ends of the floor in its home opener, shooting 56.3 percent (31-of-55) on its shots from inside the arc and forcing Mount Holyoke (0-7) into 32 turnovers, thanks in part to 22 steals. Combined with the team's 46-34 edge on the glass, the defense allowed Union to take an impressive 39 more shots and boast huge edges in fast-break points (21-4) and points in the paint (58-6).
 
Everyone in the lineup contributed to the win, with no player logging more than 20 minutes on the night. Junior Jelena Perovic was the team's top scorer with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting and five rebounds, and sophomore Morgan Schultz chipped in 10 points and a team-leading eight boards. First-year Olivia Cunningham recorded eight points, five caroms and a game-high four steals, while junior Grace Arcoleo dished out a game-high five assists.
 
The Garnet Chargers were hot from the field to start the evening, hitting nine of their first 13 shots on the way to a 18-3 lead. Four players had four points each during the game-opening stretch, which was capped by a pull-up from senior Emma Riley to put the home team up by 15 with 3:05 left. A pair of free throws by senior Jenna Forman gave Union a 20-7 lead after 10 minutes.
 
Union started the second stanza with a 10-2 run to build the lead over 20 points for the first time at 30-9, and then closed with nine straight after a Hannah Goen three-pointer to take a 39-12 lead into the locker rooms. Perovic led all players with 10 points over the opening 20 minutes, while nine players had at least one bucket in the opening half. 
 
The third quarter was the closest of the night, with Union outscoring MHC by a 12-9 margin, before the Garnet Chargers closed with a 26-6 fourth frame. A three by junior Grace Ceseretti on the first possession of the third opened up the team's first 30-point lead of the night at 42-12. A 12-0 run in the fourth period ballooned the advantage to 40 points for the first time, with back-to-back layups by senior Sophia Poplyk putting Union up 65-25 with 3:50 remaining. After a Lyon layup, the Garnet Chargers closed with another 12-0 stretch to account for the final score, with first-year Aiko Bastiaens scoring a team-best four points during the run and sophomore Davita Honig adding two points and two assists.
 
The home team finished the night shooting 43.4 percent (33 of 76) from the field, while limiting Mount Holyoke to just 19.1 percent (9 of 47) shooting from the floor.
 
Union will return to action this weekend with the start of Liberty League play, beginning with a Friday night matchup at William Smith College starting at 5:30 p.m.