POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (January 16, 2016) -- Senior Colleen O'Connell poured in a season-high 19 points, but the Vassar College women's basketball team fell, 63-61, to Union College on Saturday.

O'Connell (Maywood, NJ/Immaculate Heart Academy) also contributed on the defensive end, grabbing one shy of her season-high seven rebounds.

The forward previously scored a season-best on last night when she dropped 10 points on Skidmore College. She averages 6.4 points, while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 40 percent from 3-point range.

O'Connell was one of two Brewers to score in double-figures, as Caitlin Drakeley (Woodbury, CT/ Nonnewaug) added 12.

The Brewers never trailed by more than two points in the first half, which featured four ties and five lead changes.

Five minutes into the first quarter, Ariella Rosenthal (Mill Valley, CA/Redwod) swiped the ball and took it to the other end for a pull-up jumper, putting VC on top, 4-3, and setting the tone for the game.

Vassar played aggressively on defense and would go on to score 10 points off Union's 11 turnovers in the first half.

After Rosenthal's coast-to-coast play, the Dutchwomen took the lead once again before the Brewers scored the next seven points to make it 11-5 with 3:59 to go in the first quarter.

Nicole Teta (Maspeth, NY/ Archbishop Molloy) hit both baskets from beyond the arc in the first quarter, including a trey that capped the Brewers' 10-2 run, to lead the Brewers with six points in the first quarter.

Drakeley and O'Connell combined to score 10 of the Brewers' 12 second-quarter points.

The game was knotted at 28-all during halftime, but Union drained three triples as part of a 17-9 surge to start the third quarter.

Rosenthal hit the and-1 to make it a one-possession ballgame with 59 seconds to play, but Dutchwoman Erin Lyons was fouled and made both from the line to put Union ahead 57-62 with 10.8 seconds remaining.

Then with eight seconds on the clock, O'Connell drew the foul and made two-of-three from the charity stripe, cutting the deficit to 62-59. Rosenthal's layup with two seconds left put Vassar within one, 62-61, but the Brewers wouldn't get any closer, as Union guard Amy Fisher hit one from the line with a second remaining.

Fisher scored a game-high 20 points with five treys, while guard Natalie Leone added 10 points with two triples. Union shot 22-of-49 (45 percent) from the floor and 8-of-14 (57 percent) from three.  

Vassar will travel for a three-game road swing, beginning with a contest versus Rochester Institute of Technology on Friday, Jan. 22 at 6 p.m.

--VASSAR--