ROCHESTER, NY – The No. 2 seed RIT women's basketball team (20-6) hosted and won its first ever postseason game Wednesday evening, defeating No. 3 seed Union College (17-8) by a score of 68-64 in the Liberty League Semifinal from Clark Gym. It is the first time RIT has reached 20 wins in program history. RIT will travel to top-seed Clarkson University Saturday for the Liberty League Championship. The winner of the league title will receive an automatic berth into the 2016 NCAA Division III Tournament.

Jessica Glaz (Rockaway Beach, NY/Scholars Academy) tied her career high with 28 points on 9-of-16 shooting for the Tigers, who shot 46.2 percent from the floor. Cori Okada (Fullerton, CA/Troy) tallied 12 points off the bench, while Amanda Olsen (Glen Mills, PA/Archmere Academy) tallied eight points. Glaz finished with five assistsm five steals, and four rebounds, while Okada added four assists. Julia Bender (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) led the Tigers with six rebounds.

"We had players step up and making plays tonight," said RIT head coach Amy Reed. "I think the strategy at this point is that it's about us. We need to play together and play to our strengths, do what we do well. When we do that and play together we are fun to watch. I'm looking to see if we can put 40 minutes together and play to our potential."

Erin Lyons led Union with 14 points, while Abby Katz added 11 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Dutchwomen who shot 45.5 percent from the floor.

RIT trailed by five early in the first quarter on a layup by Katz off an assist from Natalie Leone at the 6:20 mark. A Tara Lynch (Green Township, NJ/Newton) layup with 3:19 to play cut the Dutchwomen lead to 12-11. Lynch scored on a nice feed from Okada in the lane, laying the ball in for the Tigers.

Union came right back, taking a 16-12 lead on a layup by Cailin Schmeer with 1:01 to play in the quarter. The Tigers responded with a 6-0 run to close out the quarter with an 18-16 lead. Okada scored four of RIT's six points in the run, including a layup with time running out.

Union opened the second quarter on a 6-0 run of its own, taking a 22-18 lead on a layup by Lyons with 7:42 to play in the half. Leone made it 24-20 Union on her jumper off an assist from Lyons with 5:11 to play in the half.

RIT out scored Union 19-7 over the final five minutes to take a 39-31 into halftime. Glaz scored seven points and assisted on three other buckets in the run for the Tigers. Abby Judd (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Sutherland) drained a deep 3-pointer with time running out in the half off an assist from Okada to give the Tigers an eight-point lead.

RIT increased its lead to 42-32 early in the third quarter when Glaz drained a deep 3-pointer off an assist from Taylor Burns (Rochester, NY/Greece Odyssey) at the 7:55 mark of the quarter. Union responded with a 12-4 run, cutting the RIT lead to 46-44 on a jumper by Krystal Edwards with 1:12 to play in the quarter.

The Tigers tallied the last two buckets of the third quarter, taking a 50-44 lead into the fourth. Okada drained a jumper with 41 seconds to play in the quarter and Jessica Shields (Lyons, NY/Newark) made two free throws to give the Tigers a six-point lead.

Union made it close in the fourth quarter, pulling to within a point on a 3-pointer by Lyons with 7:51 to play. After an Edwards's jumper increased the RIT lead to three points, Katz made a pair of free throws with 7:05 to play, making it 52-51 RIT.

After a Glaz 3-pointer made it 58-54 RIT, Lyons tied the score at 58-58 on a pair of free throws with 3:13 to play in regulation. Glaz answered right back for RIT driving to the hoop and getting fouled. She made both free throws with three minutes to play to make it 60-58.

Olsen made it 62-58 Tigers with her bucket off an assist from Glaz with 1:48 to play. Glaz made it 64-59 RIT on her layup with 1:10 to play. Clinging to a 67-64 lead late in the game. Glaz stole the ball from Jenni Barra along the sideline to preserve the win for the Tigers.

"We made smart play down the stretch," said Reed. "We talked at halftime about playing defense, and we did that down the stretch in the third and fourth quarters."

RIT won the season series between the two schools, 2-1. Union now leads the all-time series, 12-8. Saturday's game time will be determined on Thursday. Information will be posted on www.ritathletics.com.

"It is really exciting, and a blessing," said RIT senior co-captain Maria Edwards (Forrest Hill, MD/The Carroll School). "This is unreal. It's exciting to be put in a position to win the Liberty League Championship."