SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The RIT women's basketball team fell to Union, 81-70, in the Liberty League Tournament Championship game, Sunday afternoon. The Tigers battled back from a 39–27 halftime deficit with strong third‑ and fourth‑quarter scoring bursts, but the top-seeded Garnet Chargers held off the late push with clutch shooting and free throws down the stretch.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- RIT cut the Union lead to 41–31 early in the third when senior guard Erin DiPaola made a pair of free throws followed by a driving layup.
- Sophomore guard Caroline Henderson knocked down a pair of third-quarter threes, including one at 1:55 remaining, to keep the Tigers within reach at 58–41.
- Sydney Pearson, a graduate student forward, sparked the fourth quarter with six straight points, including a layup at 9:50 that narrowed the gap to 60–49.
- Henderson buried another three at 3:32 to make it 69–60.
- Maddy Ramsgard hit a fast‑break jumper with :31 left on the clock to pull RIT within 76–70 before Union closed the game from the line.
GAME NOTES
- Ramsgard scored a team‑high 14 points with three assists and three steals.
- DiPaola added 12 points (4-of-5 FG), four assists, and five rebounds.
- Henderson finished with 11 points, hitting 3-of-8 from three in 38 minutes.
- Junior forward Faye Kaplinski totaled 11 points and six rebounds as Pearson added 11 points, three rebounds, and one block.
- RIT shot 38.6 percent (27-for-70) from the floor and 31.8 percent (7-for-22) from three.
- The Tigers collected 37 rebounds, including 14 offensive boards.
- RIT forced nine turnovers and tallied four steals, including two from Ramsgard.
- Union went 10-of-19 from beyond the arc, including 5-of-7 made three-pointers in the first quarter.
