SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College men's basketball team shot 58.7 percent from inside the three-point arc and outscored Stevens Institute of Technology by 30 points in the paint as the Garnet Chargers finished off 2025 with a 79-66 victory over the Ducks in non-conference action on Wednesday evening at Viniar Athletic Center.
 
Junior Jack Plesser recorded his third double-double of the season to lead Union, hitting 10-of-15 shots from the field and all seven free-throw attempts on the way to a 27-point, 10-rebound day. Classmate Tanner Tedesco just missed a double-double of his own with 16 points and nine assists, while sophomore Scott Schmitt came one point short himself with nine points and 10 caroms in just 14 minutes off the bench.
 
In a game of opposites, Union (7-2) did most of its damage from close range, hitting 27-of-46 shots inside the arc – including scoring 50 of its 79 points in the paint – compared to a 4-of-15 effort from long range. Stevens (4-4), meanwhile, shot 42.9 percent (12 of 28) from three-point land but 40.0 percent (12 of 30) from two-point land.
 
Senior Christian Dufort connected on a three and classmate Neil Daterao hit a layup to open the scoring and the Garnet Chargers never trailed in the opening half. The Union lead grew to as many as 14 points with 7:28 to go in the half after a Plesser bucket in transition capped an extended 18-6 run and put the home team up 27-13. The Ducks responded with 11 straight points to quickly get back within a basket, and eventually knotted the score at 33 before another Plesser basket gave the Garnet Chargers a 35-33 edge at the break.
 
Union shot 46.9 percent (15 of 32) from the field in the first half but connected on only 2-of-9 shots from long range, holding a 22-6 edge in scoring in the paint. Conversely, Stevens shot just 36.7 percent (11 of 30) from the field but hit at a 43.8 percent (7 of 16) clip from beyond the arc to get back into the game.
 
The Garnet Chargers revved up the offense in the second half, hitting 55.2 percent (16 of 29) of its shots to eventually pull away. The Union lead was still just two with 10:21 on the clock before the home team went on an 18-4 run over the next 4:31 to take a 70-54 lead with 5:33 remaining after a Plesser three-point play. The junior had seven of the team's points and Schmitt added six during the critical run, which saw Union hit 6-of-9 shots from the floor and 6-of-7 from the charity stripe.

Union managed to match Stevens over the next two minutes to keep the advantage at 17 with under three minutes to go, and four points by Tedesco in the final minutes was more than enough to finish off the win.

Union will take time off for winter break before returning to action in the new calendar year with a Liberty League matchup at Rochester Institute of Technology on January 3.