HARTFORD, Conn. - Junior guard Bria Fuller (Springdale, Md.) had 16 points and six rebounds to lead the Trinity College Bantams to a 49-44 victory over the visiting Union College Dutchwomen in women's basketball action this evening on Ogrodnik Court in Oosting Gymnasium.  Trinity improves to 6-2 with its fourth consecutive victory heading into its last game of the fall semester tomorrow at 3 p.m. against Gordon.  Union falls to 1-5 and will be off for 20 days before hosting Middlebury on December 30 at 3 p.m.  Tomorrow's game will be the second half of a hoops doubleheader at Trinity, following the men's game against CCNY at 1 p.m., and the squads have teamed up to sponsor a Toys for Tots drive at the game.  Fans are asked to bring an unwrapped toy to the game to support the cause.

"Our toughness and resilience really showed tonight," said Trinity Head Coach Emily Garner. "We had some big moments from a lot of players down the stretch, but our defense was the story line. When we lock in defensively, it really feeds our offense, and helped us secure the win tonight." 

Trinity built a 17-11 lead after one quarter and outscored Union, 11-4, in the second to take a 28-15 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Bantams scored nine points, including five by Fuller, in a row to turn a 17-13 lead into a 26-13 advantage on a layup by junior center Samantha Gallo (Northford, Conn.) with 5:15 remaining in the first half.  Fuller had 12 points at the break, while the Trinity defense held the Dutchwomen to just six field goals in 22 attempts in the first 20 minutes.  Union rallied and scored the first 12 points of the third frame to pull within one on a 3-pointer by Kennedy Clark, before Trinity broke a seven-plus minute scoring drought on a Fuller jumper with 4:19 on the clock.  The Dutchwomen kept battling and took their first lead at 35-34 at the close of the third frame on two free throws by Amber Raisner.

Gallo scored after a steal by Trinity senior tri-captain guard Bailey Hyland (Broad Brook, Conn.) to open the fourth frame and Trinity kept its lead the rest of the way.  Junior guard Madison Stevens (Burlington, Conn.) made a trey to put the home team ahead, 40-35, at the 8:12 mark, but Union hung in and trailed by just a bucket in the final minute.  Hyland drilled two free throws with 28 seconds remaining, Gallo made one of two, and the Bantam defense held Union to three contested 3-point tries that were well off the mark after that.  Gallo joined Fuller in double figures in scoring with 14 points and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, while Hyland contributed seven points, five rebounds, and three steals, and Stevens had five points and five assists.  Trinity was clutch from the foul line with 10 makes in 13 attempts and grabbed 13 offensive rebounds to offset a 29.8 shooting percentage from the floor.  Raisner paced Union with 13 points and six boards.