SCHENECTADY, N.Y. - The Union College women's basketball team could not find any consistency in the shooting game on Saturday afternoon, dropping its first Liberty League game of the season to Vassar College by a 54-52 score at Viniar Athletic Center.
 
Senior Grace Ardito was the top scorer for (Union (11-4, 7-1 Liberty League) on the afternoon, scoring 16 points on 7-of-15 shooting. Senior Jelena Perovic and sophomore Olivia Cunningham chipped in 12 points each, with Cunningham adding adding a game-high 12 rebounds, four assists and four steals. Senior Kate Peek also reached double figures with 10 points.
 
Sierra McDermed paced Vassar (6-7, 5-1 Liberty League) with a game-high 18 points and Lindsey Shoulders added 17 for the visitors.
 
Union started the game hot from the field, hitting six of its first eight shots to take a 14-6 lead. Ardito hit a trio of triples to lead the Garnet charge, with Peek (three points) and Perovic (two points) chipping in as well. Despite cooling off later in the frame, Union shot 41.2 percent (7 of 17) in the period to take a 17-11 lead after 10 minutes.
 
The momentum turned drastically in the second stanza, with Union shooting 2-of-12 from the field and turning the ball over seven times as Vassar outscored the Garnet Chargers by a 16-4 margin. A jumper by Perovic started the period and put Union up 19-11, but the Brewers scored the next 14 points while Union missed its next nine shots to take a 25-19 edge, and the visitors went into the half with the same six-point margin at 27-21.
 
The home team tied the score with the first four points of the third frame and the lead changed hands on five occasions, the last coming after back-to-back layups by Perovic and first-year Ryley Tate-Padian in the final half-minute to put Union up 38-36 headed to the fourth. The Garnet Chargers outscored Vassar 17-9 in the period, thanks to holding Vassar to 4-of-13 shooting.
 
The Garnet Chargers scored seven of the fourth's first 10 points to take a 45-39 lead with 7:13 left, which was the largest lead for either side the rest of the way. The home team remained up five with 2:39 remaining after baskets from Ardito and Cunningham countered Vassar buckets; however, three missed shots and two turnovers on the next four possessions allowed the Brewers to score eight straight points and take a 52-49 lead with 26 seconds remaining. A huge three from Peek out of a timeout knotted the score at 52 with 22 ticks left, but a key offensive rebound by McDermed allowed Vassar to take a one-point lead from the free-throw line inside of 10 seconds. Union had one last chance, but a layup by Ardito rimmed out and Vassar sealed the game with another free throw.
 
Union's shooting percentage wavered drastically between periods on the day, ending up at 33.8 percent (22 of 65) from the field and 25.0 percent (4 of 16) from long range. Vassar ended the afternoon at 36.7 percent (22 of 60) and just 1-of-12 from beyond the arc, but held a 9-4 edge at the charity stripe that helped to decide a winner.
 
After finishing up a busy three-game week, the Garnet Chargers have only one game on the schedule next week, a Friday night matchup at William Smith College set for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff.