SCHENECTADY, N.Y.—The Union women's basketball team used a big third quarter to defeat William Smith 70-52 this afternoon in a Liberty League matchup in Viniar Athletic Center.
 
Junior Giana Lobozzo led the Herons this afternoon with a game-high 16 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Ava Lobozzo added 10 points, three rebounds and an assist, while classmate Miranda Martin chipped in nine points, five rebounds and one block. Juniors Dani Krenzer and Amelia McCulley dropped six points each and combined for seven rebounds and a block in the loss.
 
Union was led by Kate Peek's 13 points, three rebounds, three steals, two blocks and one assist. Jelena Perovic added 11 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal, while Olivia Cunningham chipped in 10 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks, two steals and two assists in the win.

TEAM TOTALS

• Rebounds: Union 46, William Smith 40
• Assists: Union 11, William Smith 9
• Turnovers: William Smith 17, Union 13
• Steals: Union 11, William Smith 4
• Blocked Shots: Union 6, William Smith 2

HERON STAT LEADERS

• Scoring: Giana Lobozzo 16, Ava Lobozzo 10, Miranda Martin 9, Dani Krenzer 6, Amelia McCulley 6
• Rebounding: Jojo Sulmasy 7, Giana Lobozzo 7, Miranda Martin 5, Dani Krenzer 4, Ava Lobozzo 3, Kira Ostovar 3
• Assists: Kira Ostovar 4, Carly Scott 3, Jojo Sulmasy 2
• Steals: Giana Lobozzo 3, Carly Scott 1
• Blocked shots: Miranda Martin 1, Amelia McCulley 1

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both teams struggled to find an offensive rhythm in the opening quarter as the Herons shot 30% from the floor compared to the Garnet Charger's 33%. Once William Smith settled into the game, it found sharp shooting from behind the arc, shooting 3-for-6 as a team to grab a 13-12 lead after one quarter of play.
• Union responded well in the second quarter and went on a 9-1 scoring run to grab back the lead in the early minutes of quarter two. William Smith answered back with a 7-0 scoring run of their own to tie the game at 21-21 with 4:30 remaining in the half. The two sides continued trading points for the remainder of the half, but the Herons maintained a two-point lead heading into halftime thanks to a McCulley three-point play.
• The Garnet Chargers came out hot in the third quarter, shooting 53% from the floor and combining for 25 points as a team. Union held William Smith to just two points through 10 minutes of play to shoot out to a 53-32 lead heading into the final frame.
• The Herons responded well in the fourth quarter, shooting 50% from the floor and forcing four Garnet Charger turnovers. William Smith outscored Union 20-17 in the final quarter but the Garnet Chargers secured a big enough lead in their third quarter spark to close out the conference contest on top 70-52.

FOR THE RECORD

• William Smith drops to 3-18 overall and 1-13 in conference play.
• With the win, Union improves to 16-5 on the season with a 12-2 mark in the Liberty League.

UP NEXT
 
William Smith will be back in action Feb. 13 when it hosts St. Lawrence for a crucial Liberty League matchup. Action between the Herons and the Saints is set for 5:30 p.m. in Bristol Gymnasium.