The St. Lawrence University women's basketball team raced out to a 29-8 lead midway through the first half and never looked back, as the Saints defeated Union College, 67-54, in the Burkman Gymnasium on Friday evening.

The Saints, now 10-3 overall and 1-2 in the conference, were led by first-year student Kelly Legg's career-high 25 points and seven rebounds. Junior captain Katie Edgerton also added 12 points, while rookie Katie Abramski chipped in a team high eight boards. Meanwhile, Union falls to 8-4 and saw its seven-game win streak come to an end. The Dutchwomen also saw their unblemished Liberty League record change to 3-1.

"That was a nice win over a very good Union team tonight," said St. Lawrence head coach Dan Roiger. "I thought we played very hard and executed well. We focused all week on details on both offense and defense, and we took that into the game with us tonight."

The Saints never trailed in a game that got away from Union early. St. Lawrence started the game on a 14-3 run, amplified by three fouls on Union's leading scorer Lauren McCormick in the first 5:39 of the game. With McCormick on the bench, the Dutchwomen sputtered offensively, allowing the home team to take control of the contest. First-year student Katie Murray drilled a three-pointer midway through the half to put the Saints on top 20-8, which began a 12-0 run that built the lead to 29-8 with 6:33 to play in the half after sophomore Erica Spera converted a pair of free throws.

Union was able to close the gap to 13 twice, including after a free throw by Leah Pepe pulled the Dutchwomen to within that margin at 34-21 with 1:15 left in the half. However, Murray delivered another clutch three-pointer in the final minute of the half, pushing the lead back to 16. Her efforts gave the home team a 38-21 edge at halftime.

The two Liberty League foes would exchange baskets throughout the second half, as Union clawed its way back to within 14 on a jumped by Marissa Ray. However, St. Lawrence met each challenge from the Dutchwomen with a solid possession, as Legg made a three-pointer midway through the half to push the lead back to 16, 53-37.

St. Lawrence's defense was outstanding down the stretch, as they never allowed Union within 10 points. Legg's 16 points in the second half was the difference, though McCormick did bounce back in the final 20:00 minutes with 10 points. The Scarlet and Brown shot 38% from the field, including 7-of-16 from behind the arc, while Union only shot 28% from the floor. Both teams committed 19 turnovers, with Union holding a narrow 44-41 lead in rebounds.

"We had a game where everyone stepped up and played well, hard and intense, and usually good things happen when you do that," added Coach Roiger. "I think we matured a little bit today, and it is good to see the team take that step forward."

The Saints will look to earn a weekend sweep tomorrow afternoon when they host Skidmore College at 2:00pm in the Burkman Gymnasium.