One of the very best basketball players in William Smith basketball history, Elizabeth Brown Royston ’00 is the most accurate 3-point shooter and most prolific thief in program history. She donned the Green and White during one of the most dominant eras of William Smith basketball, finishing atop the UCAA standings four straight times and making four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.
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Brown Royston graduated fifth on the William Smith career scoring list with 1,291 points while amassing a program record 348 steals. She shot .392 from beyond the arc for her career and is one of only five Herons to shoot over 40% from deep across a full season, shooting 41% as a first-year.
Brown Royston finished third on the team in scoring, producing 12.3 points per game as a first-year as William Smith won a program record 27 games advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals before suffering its only loss. The Herons won the UCAA Championship with an unblemished 12-0 record. Brown Royston led that team with 83 steals which ranked fourth on the William Smith single season list. She was named the 1996-97 Stephanie Christie Award winner as the athletic department’s rookie of the year.
As a sophomore, Brown Royston made a career-high 53 3-pointers and averaged a career-high 12.7 points and grabbed a career-high 100 rebounds. Her efforts helped the Herons post a 23-3 record, winning the UCAA again, this time with an 11-1 mark. The performance earned her first team All-UCAA and second team ECAC All-Star honors.
In 1998-99, Brown Royston led William Smith in scoring and steals as the Herons picked up another UCAA title, going 23-4 overall, 10-2 in conference. She produced 11.1 points per game and 89 steals, repeating as a first team All-UCAA pick, moving up to the ECAC All-Star first team and landing WBCA All-America honorable mention recognition.
Brown Royston capped her career by excelling in tournaments. She earned a spot on the 1999 Colorado College Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament Team, was named the MVP of the Chase Scholarship Tournament and represented the Herons on the UCAA All-Tournament team. She produced 16 points and a career-high nine assists in the UCAA semifinal win over Union, a victory which extended William Smith’s home court win streak to an eye-popping 80 games. The Herons advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament getting 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists from Brown Royston. She finished the season with 101 steals, which was second on the single season list and 130 assists, which was tied for fifth.
Brown Royston’s successful senior season was reward with the UCAA Player of the Year Award as well as first team recognition from the UCAA, NYSWCAA and the ECAC. She even earned the ultimate award, WBCA first team All-American.
Brown Royston earned a bachelor’s degree in women’s studies in 2000.
