SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Despite a career-high 29 points from senior
Jenna Forman, the Union College women's basketball team dug itself into a large first-half hole and could never fully emerge in dropping a 76-72 decision to Skidmore College in a Liberty League contest on Friday night at Williamson Sports and Recreation Center.
The loss drops Union (11-7, 8-3 Liberty League) into fourth place in the conference standings with seven games remaining, while Skidmore (8-10, 6-5 Liberty League) moves into a tie for fifth place.
Forman had a big game in the paint for the Garnet Chargers, hitting 11-of-18 shots from the field while also grabbing a team-leading seven rebounds. Juniors
Jelena Perovic and
Grace Ardito chipped in 11 points apiece and first-year
Olivia Cunningham added 10 points for the visitors.
Neither team shot well in the opening frame, with both squads hitting at under 30 percent. It took the Garnet Chargers 3:30 into the game before scoring their first points of the night, missing the first four shots and turning the ball over twice. Forman broke the seal for Union with a layup, but Skidmore added two more baskets to take an 11-2 lead almost midway through the period. A three from junior
Grace Ceseretti and a Cunningham jumper got the visitors back into the game, and Union went into the second stanza down five at 14-9.
Union scored the first five points of the second period and limited Skidmore to 0-for-7 shooting to even the game at 14, but the Thoroughbreds came back with a 12-2 run to take the first double-digit lead of the game at 26-16 with 3:51 remaining. The home team added an 8-4 run to end the period as well to take a 34-20 lead into halftime.
After starting slow, Skidmore hit 7-of-11 shots to end the second stanza and finished the opening half at 32.4 percent (12 of 37), including a 7-of-16 mark from long range. Union shot 30.0 percent (9 of 30) from the field and also had eight turnovers over the opening 20 minutes.
Union could do no more than trade baskets to start the third period, with the Skidmore lead remaining 14 (45-31) at the midway point, and the home team went into the final frame with a 53-42 advantage. The Skidmore lead grew to as many as 15 at 64-49 with 4:36 left before seven straight Union points decreased the deficit to eight with 3:22 to go. The visitors got within seven with two minutes remaining, but the home team hit 9-of-12 free throws the rest of the way to keep Union at bay.
Union shot 55.5 percent (20 of 36) in the second half to try and mount a comeback, but could not overcome a sluggish first half and finished the night at 43.9 percent (29 of 66) from the field. Skidmore shot only 36.5 percent (23 of 63) from the floor, but hit 10 three-pointers and also made 20-of-28 free-throw attempts to emerge with the win.
Union will look to get back in the win column on Saturday with a 2 p.m. tipoff at Ithaca College.
