Schenectady, N.Y. - Fallon Griffin registered 15 points but the Clarkson University Women's Basketball team dropped a 91-45 decision to Union College, Saturday afternoon.
Clarkson draws level at 4-4 overall while dropping to 0-2 in Liberty League play. Union moves to 5-1 overall 2-0 in league. The Knights face an extended break coming up, the team returns to action on January 2nd, traveling to take on Plattsburgh State in a non-league matchup.
Union would jump out to an 6-0 lead before Clarkson was even able to get a shot attempt off following several turnovers from the Golden Knights. After the first shot attempt came, just over three minutes in, Union would transition quickly to the other end of the floor setting up Jelena Perovic for a layup and 8-0 advantage. Griffin would get the Knights on the board at the 5:43 mark with a wing three, which led to Addie Kea working her way inside on the next possession with a lay-in to make it 8-5 midway through the first. A three from Grace Ceseretti for the Garnet Chargers reestablished a six-point advantage but another three from Griffin followed by a Maddy Polky layup brought Clarkson back to within one. A three-pointer and two free throws from the hosts over the final minute saw Union manage a 16-10 lead after one quarter.
Both teams would trade baskets as the second quarter got underway, another Ceseretti three would put the Garnet Chargers up 21-14 but Polky answered with a mid-range jumper on the very next possession to bring it back to 21-16 with six and a half remaining. With Union up seven, Ceseretti would again connect from long range, putting the hosts up 10, the first double-digit lead of the contest. A layup by Griffin on the next trip for Clarkson brought it back to eight but Union would then go on a 10-0 run over the next four possessions to take a 36-18 hold on proceedings. A three from Griffin and a turn around jumper from Kate Campbell would cancel out another Garnet Charger three, but the hosts would lead 39-23 headed into halftime. Union would commit just one foul through the first 20 minutes, shooting 41% from the field. Clarkson wasn't too far behind with a 39% field goal percentage, but 10 turnovers in the first half alone limited scoring opportunities for the Knights.
Union would manage to get the lead up to 48-23, opening the second half on a 9-0 run in just over two minutes. Following a media timeout, Ceseretti would connect on two free throws that put the Garnet Chargers up 50-23 before Polky muscled her way inside to score another layup to bring it back to 50-25. Despite the Golden Knights' best efforts, the lead would stretch to 30 with 4:17 remaining in the quarter and sit at 68-34 in favor of Union following an 11-5 run to end the third quarter.
Even with the deficit, Clarkson would continue to manage to score, getting back to 76-44 following an Alexis Kress triple with 6:18 remaining. That is the closest that the score would get over the rest of the fourth however, as Union would close out the game on a 15-1 run for the 91-45 final.
Union would shoot 47% from the field and 48% from three while leading most statistical categories. Clarkson struggled to take care of the ball, turning it over 27 times, a new season-high.
Griffin's 15 led Clarkson in scoring while Kress and Polky both had six. Elizabeth Aiossa grabbed seven boards in the effort. Olivia Cunningham led four Union scorers in double-figures with 15 while also snagging 10 boards and dishing out six assists.
