SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Junior Jack Plesser scored a career-high 37 points to lead the Union College men's basketball team to an 80-62 victory over Skidmore College in a key Liberty League matchup on Friday evening at Viniar Athletic Center.
 
The win keeps Union (16-4, 11-2 Liberty League) in a three-way tie atop the Liberty League standings with five games remaining and also assures the Garnet Chargers of a postseason berth for a third straight season.
 
Plesser had a monster game for the home team, scoring the most points in a game for Union since Kevin Weckworth '18 went for 40 against Clarkson University on January 12, 2018. The junior hit 14-of-22 shots from the field and went 3-for-4 from long range as well in the win. Classmate Tanner Tedesco added 15 points, eight assists and five rebounds in a well-rounded effort, while senior Christian Dufort also reached double figures with 12 points to go with a team-best seven caroms.
 
Plesser started off his big night with a three on the opening possession and Tedesco added six points as part of an early 11-2 run over the first 7:16 of the game. Two straight Plesser buckets and a three from junior Matthew Garside built up the team's first double-digit lead of the game at 23-12, and the home team never trailed over the opening 20 minutes thanks to 6-of-12 shooting from long range and 13-of-29 shooting (44.8 percent) overall.
 
Plesser scored eight points as part of an 11-3 run to start the second half, as Union built its lead up to 15 points at 50-35 with 16:34 remaining. The edge remained in double figures until five straight points by Skidmore brought the deficit down to eight (68-60) with 4:03 on the clock, but Plesser hit a jumper to start a personal 5-0 run that put the score at 73-60 with 2:23 left. Union outscored Skidmore 7-2 the rest of the way, capped off by a layup from senior Aren Cummings that provided the Garnet Chargers their largest lead of the evening.
 
Union shot an even 50.0 percent (16 of 32) from the field in the second half to finish the game at 47.5 percent, while Skidmore ended the evening at 36.1 percent (22 of 61).
 
Union will finish off the home portion of the regular season tomorrow, when the team celebrates Senior Day before a 4 p.m. tipoff with Hobart College at Viniar Athletic Center.