BAYAMON, Puerto Rico – The Union College women's basketball team struggled to find the basket in its second and final game at the Puerto Rico Classico on Thursday afternoon, falling to Susquehanna University by a 63-44 score at Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum.
 
Sophomore Olivia Cunningham led all scorers on the day with 14 points and added nine rebounds for Union (6-3), but she was the only Garnet Charger in double figures. Senior Grace Ceseretti also finished the afternoon with nine rebounds while classmate Jelena Perovic added eight points and seven caroms.
 
Union shot only 29.4 percent (5 of 17) to start the game, but forced five turnovers to stay close. The Garnet Chargers led 5-2 after a Perovic jumper but Susquehanna (9-1) hit five straight shots and forced Union into six misses in a row to rattle off 14 straight points and take a 16-5 lead with 3:33 on the clock. The River Hawks built their lead up to as many as 12 late in the frame before baskets from Cunningham and junior Morgan Schultz cut the deficit to eight (20-12) after one period.
 
Neither team could gain much of an advantage in the second period, with the largest run for either side a four-point swing for Susquehanna. The Garnet Chargers got the deficit down to six points on a pair of occasions and went into the locker room down eight at 32-24.
 
Union limited Susquehanna to just 36.4 percent (12 of 33) shooting in the opening half, but the Garnet Chargers hit only 9-of-33 (27.3 attempts) from the field, including just 1-of-11 from long range.
 
Union started the third period on a brief 6-2 run to get back within four after a Cunningham step back. A Cunningham three-point play and a free throw from senior Grace Ardito made it a four-point game (41-37) again with 4:02 left in the third; however, Union did not score again as three turnovers and four missed shots allowed the River Hawks to score the final six points and take a 47-37 lead into the fourth.
 
The team's scoreless stretch continued into the first three-plus minutes of the fourth as well, allowing Susquehanna to take a 14-point edge before an Ardito running layup finally ended the run with 6:36 left. The River Hawks scored nine straight after a Perovic bucket to put the game away, as Union shot just 2-of-10 from the field in the final frame.
 
Union ended the day shooting 28.8 percent (15 of 52) from the field, including a 1-of-14 mark from long range. Susquehanna ended the afternoon at 37.7 percent (23 of 61) and also held a 42-33 edge on the glass.
 
The Garnet Chargers will take some time off for winter break before getting back to Liberty League play in the New Year, kicking off a string of 16 straight conference games with a matchup at Rochester Institute of Technology on Saturday, January 3 at 1 p.m.