Potsdam, NY – Four players reached double figures for William Smith, led by Marisa Vespa’s 15 points, as the Herons defeated the Clarkson University Women’s Basketball team 75-57 in Liberty League action Saturday afternoon.
The Golden Knights dropped to 3-20 overall on the season and 1-11 in the Liberty League, while the Herons solidified their playoff standing at 10-1 in league and 19-2 overall.
William Smith’s full-court pressure proved difficult for the Golden Knights to penetrate in the first half, and became even tougher when the team’s primary ball handlers were forced to sit with foul trouble. The Herons forced 20 Clarkson turnovers, but the Knights made the most of their chances once the shots went up, shooting 40.9 percent from the floor (9-for-22) and an impressive 92.3 percent from the free throw line (12-for-13). William Smith was more careful with the ball, turning the ball over only six times and converting open lay ups off steals and fast break chances.
Sophomore forward Michelle Reddinger (Baldwinsville, NY) scored nine points, going a flawless 7-for-7 from the line, to score a team-high nine points for Clarkson in the first half. Katie Goldberg (Stowe, VT) added seven points, making a pair of 3-pointers.
Marisa Vespa enjoyed a quality first half with 10 points, 7 assists, and 5 steals to lead the Herons. Latasha Coney contributed eight points and five rebounds, making three of her five field goal attempts. Paige Myers also came off the bench to score eight points (3-for-4 from the field).
In the first minutes of the second half, Clarkson was able to break the William Smith press and pulled to within striking distance of the Herons, but a 9-0 run late in the half ended any chance of the Knights making a comeback.
Reddinger scored 16 points to lead Clarkson, with DeAndra Hebert (Heuvelton, NY) added in eight points. Vespa scored 15 points and added 10 assists to lead William Smith. Latasha Coney also contributed 12 points and 8 rebounds, while Stephanie Czajkowski and Mollie Danahy produced 11 and 10 points, respectively.
