SCHENECTADY, N.Y. –  The Union College women's basketball team got off to an excellent start and then held on in the fourth period to earn its first-ever victory over Ithaca College with a 66-62 win on Friday evening at Viniar Athletic Center.
 
The win is the first for Union (7-5, 4-1 Liberty League) in 14 all-time meetings with Ithaca (3-7, 2-1 Liberty League), while also making the Garnet Chargers the first conference team to four victories in the young league slate.
 
Junior Kate Peek led four Garnet Chargers in double figures, scoring a career-high 16 points thanks to four three-pointers and a 4-of-6 effort from the charity stripe. Classmate Jelena Perovic added 15 points and a team-best eight rebounds, with senior Jenna Forman also grabbing eight caroms and adding 10 points. Junior Emma Riley also reached double figures with 11 points to go with five rebounds and three assists.
 
Zoraida Icebalceta scored a game-high 22 points and Annabella Yorio added 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds for the Bombers.
 
Union set the tone defensively from the outset, forcing turnovers on six of Ithaca's first seven possessions. A three-point play by Forman opened the scoring three minutes into the contest, and the home team never trailed. A jumper by first-year Olivia Cunningham and a three from junior Grace Arcoleo turned a 6-6 score into an 11-6 Union lead, and the lead grew to seven at the end of the first frame after a Perovic score made the score 14-7.
 
The home team doubled up the visitors by a 22-11 margin in the second quarter to take control of the contest. Perovic and Peek chipped in eight points apiece, as Union hit 7-of-11 attempts (63.6 percent) from the field and limited the Bombers to 2-of-17 shooting. Ithaca shot 4-of-30 (13.3 percent) over the first 20 minutes as the Garnet Chargers took a 36-18 lead into halftime.
 
A three-pointer by Peek early in the third quarter opened up the largest lead of the game at 41-21, and Union went into the final frame with a 52-36 advantage.
 
Union allowed Ithaca back into the game in the fourth frame thanks to eight turnovers and a bevy of offensive rebounds allowed, as the Bombers took 22 shots to Union's six over the final 10 minutes. Ithaca got within three at 58-55 with 3:48 remaining in regulation, but Riley responded with a huge three on the next possession to double the lead. The advantage was four entering the final minute, but back-to-back blocks from Forman and Arcoleo denied Ithaca on its next possession and Union was able to clinch the game from the line.
 
Union finished the night shooting 19-of-43 (44.2 percent) from the line and also got to the free-throw line 31 times, hitting 20 (64.5 percent). Ithaca took 26 more shots thanks to 21 offensive rebounds but made only 20 for 29.0 percent shooting, and also missed 12-of-27 attempts from the charity stripe.
 
The Garnet Chargers will be back in action tomorrow with a 2 p.m. matchup against Skidmore College at Viniar Athletic Center.