Vassar College Women Outlasts Union, 54-52

SCHENECTADY – Senior Sierra McDermed led all players with 18 points, including the deciding free-throw with 10 seconds left, as the Vassar College Women’s Basketball team battled its way to a 54-52 road win at Union Saturday afternoon.

Saturday’s victory is Vassar’s 11th in the last 12 meetings against the Garnet Chargers and improves it to 6-7 overall and 5-1 in conference play. Union slips to 11-4 overall and 7-1 against league rivals.

A game of runs saw Union use a 13-1 spurt, capped by a Grace Ardito three-pointer, to grab a 17-7 lead with 4:10 left in the opening stanza.

After falling behind by 10 midway through the first quarter, Vassar outscored Union 16-4 in the second frame to surge in front 27-21 at the intermission.

The Brewers scored 14 straight points in the second frame, including six tallies from Sophia Ippolito (Cumberland Center, ME), to pull in front 25-19 with 1:45 left before halftime.

McDermed added a layup in the closing seconds of the half to send Vassar into the break with a 27-21 lead.

The Brewers shot 38.7-percent in the first half, including 46.7-percent in the second quarter.

Union went 2-for-12 from the field in the second quarter and finished the first half shooting 31-percent overall with a pair of three-pointers.

The Brewers maintained the advantage until the 5:03 mark of the third quarter when a Ardito bucket knotted the score at 29-29.

Vassar would get back in front 33-30 before an 8-3 closing run from the Garnet Chargers pushed them in front 38-36 with 10 minutes left to play.

Union would lead much of the final period and grabbed a 45-39 lead on a pair of Jelena Perovic free-throws with 7:13 left to play.

Trailing by five with 2:39 left in regulation, Vassar built an 8-0 run started by a three-point play from Lindsey Shoulders to surge in front 52-49.

Following a Kate Peek three-pointer that knotted the score for Union with 22 seconds left, Vassar got free-throws from McDermed and Shoulders to hold off the Garnet Chargers and secure the final two-point victory.

The Brewers converted at 34.5-percent in the second half and connected on one three-pointer.

Union shot 36.1-percent after halftime and hit on two fourth quarter triples.

For The Brewers
McDermed finished with a game-high 18 points and led the team with 11 rebounds.

McDermed rounded out the win with an assist, a block and four steals.

Shoulders recorded 17 points on 7-for-16 shooting to go along with nine rebounds.

Ippolito chipped in six points, three rebounds and two steals.

Maddie Ahearn made the team’s lone three-pointer.

For The Garnet Chargers
Ardito led Union with 16 points on 7-for-15 shooting.

Olivia Cunningham totaled 12 points and collected a game-high 12 rebounds while adding four assists and four steals.

Perovic scored 12 points and collected nine rebounds.

Peek finished the day with 10 points and a trio of assists.