Potsdam, N.Y. - Trailing by just one at the half, the Clarkson University Women's Basketball team came up just short against Union College, the number one seed in the Liberty League, falling 65-70, Friday evening at Alumni Gymnasium.
Clarkson moves to 10-14 overall, 6-11 in conference play and will wrap up the 2025-26 campaign on Saturday, hosting RPI on senior day, for a 2 p.m. tipoff. Union improves to 19-5 overall, 15-2 in league play.
Baskets were traded between the teams in the early going with the lead flipping several times before the first media break. Clarkson would lead by one twice, following baskets by Addie Kea on both occasions, but the largest lead of the quarter would be gained by the Garnet Chargers who took a 15-11 advantage at the 3:16 mark. After an Alexis Kress layup would tie it up at 17, Kate Peek nicked down a three on the other end for Union before Maddy Polky hit the back-end of two free throws to put the visitors up two after the first quarter.
Polky would then knot the score at 24 less than four minutes into the second as Clarkson continued to frustrate the Garnet Chargers, never letting them lead by more than four. Kea put the Knights up 26-24 with a jumper two possessions later but Union would continue to do just enough getting up 34-30, with 1:10 left. Kea provided another response for the Knights in the final minute with a three, to make it a one-point game headed into the break.
With a layup and free throw from Fallon Griffin and Polky the Knights would gain an early advantage in the second half but a quick 6-0 run, capped off by a Morgan Schultz lay-in meant the Garnet Chargers would regain a five-point lead. The lead would remain at five up to the 3:16 mark but Alexis Kress would answer a Kate Peek three with a three of her own to get Clarkson back to within two. Olivia Cunningham closed out the third with the final bucket of the quarter at the 2:03 mark to send the visitors into the fourth up 50-46.
Polky got Clarkson out to another good start in the fourth quarter, tying the score at 51, less than three minutes in but Union finally managed to piece together a scoring run, opening up a 59-51 advantage just two minutes later. That lead would then grow to ten at the 1:55 mark when Jelena Perovic powered her way to the cup for two. Clarkson managed to get it back to six and then five but that is the closest it would get as Union would escape with the 70-65 win.
Clarkson would hold a slim 34-28 edge in points in the paint while Union would lead in second chance points (14-4) and bench points (18-14). The Knights would actually shoot better from the field at 49% but get only 51 total shots off compared to 64 for Union who finished 39% from the field.
Kea continued her torrid scoring stretch tallying 22 points and four assists, Griffin added 16 while Polky (12) and Kress (10) all reached double-figures. Elizabeth Aiossa finished with 11 boards and four assists in the effort. Peek led the Garnet Chargers with 21 points while Perovic was close behind with 19 points and eight rebounds. Cunningham added 10 off the bench.
