SCHENECTADY, N.Y. –  The Union College men's basketball team came up a few points short in its attempt at a second-half comeback against Ithaca College on Friday night, falling by an 81-71 score in Liberty League action at Viniar Athletic Center.
 
Sophomores Tanner Tedesco and Jack Plesser scored 16 points apiece to lead Union (5-7, 1-4 Liberty League), followed by classmate Matthew Garside with 14 points. Evan Cabral paced four players in double figures with a game-high 23 points and seven rebounds for Ithaca (6-4, 3-0 Liberty League).
 
Union was hot from the field to start the game, hitting its first seven field-goal attempts and 10 of its first 11. Despite the high accuracy, however, Union only led by two at 25-23 with 11:28 to go on the opening half despite 10 points each from Tedesco and Plesser. Eight straight points by sophomore Brendan Reid put the Garnet Chargers ahead by a 37-34 margin with 4:24 left in the opening half, but Ithaca rattled off 13 straight points after that before a last-second layup by junior Christian Dufort ended the frame.
 
The home team shot 53.3 percent (16 of 30) from the field in the opening half, but gave up 57.1 percent (16 of 28) shooting at the other end of the floor, including a 9-of-16 effort from long range, to face a 47-39 deficit at the break.
 
Union spent most of the second half chasing down the lead, coming within a possession on multiple occasions but unable to regain its advantage. A 13-4 run midway through the second stanza got Union back within three at 67-64 after a pair of Tedesco freebies with 5:15 remaining, and the team got within one on the next possession after a Garside triple. The deficit was still only two after a jumper from junior Christian Dufort with 2:28 on the clock, but the home team turned the ball over on the next two possessions and then missed its last three shots to suffer the loss.
 
Union finished the game shooting 47.1 percent (24 of 51) from the field and 15-of-18 from the line, but Ithaca shot 52.1 percent (25 of 48) from the floor and 50.0 percent (12 of 24) from long range and also converted 13 Union turnovers into 24 points.
 
The Garnet Chargers will return to action tomorrow with a 4 p.m. matchup against Skidmore College at Viniar Athletic Center.