Box Score GENEVA, N.Y. -- The top-seeded William Smith College basketball team will take on No. 2 St. John Fisher College in the Seventh Chase Women's Scholarship Tournament title game tomorrow evening. Tip-off at the University of Rochester's Palestra is slated for 5:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on 89.7 WEOS in Geneva, and televised (tape-delayed) on Rochester's WXXI TV-21.

Since entering the Chase's expanded eight-team tourney in 1995-96, the Herons have compiled a 13-1 tournament record, and have captured three titles (1995-96, 1996-97, and 1997-98). Due to expansion in the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association beginning next season, this will be the Herons' final appearance in the Chase. St. John Fisher finished first in 1993-94 and 1994-95, when the tournament fielded four teams. The Cardinals lost 69-61 to Roberts Wesleyan College in the 1999 title game.

William Smith (10-2) enters Saturday's matchup with a six-game winning streak, including decisive victories over Rochester Institute of Technology (84-41) and SUNY Geneseo (87-51) in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. Seniors Liz Brown (Marcus Whitman/Rushville, N.Y.), Tricia Lockwood (Homer/Truxton, N.Y.), and Liz Masten (Williamsport/Williamsport, Pa.) will lead Head Coach Glenn Begly's squad into battle tomorrow night. Brown recently became the first Heron to record 1,000 points, 300 assists, and 300 steals in a career. She needs just 27 steals to become the school's all-time leader. This season, she is averaging 9.9 points per game, including a game-high 15 last night against Geneseo. She leads the Herons with 4.4 assists and 4.7 steals per contest. Lockwood (8.9 ppg) has connected on 19 of her last 24 attempts from the field for a sizzling 79.2%. Masten leads the team in scoring at a 12.0 ppg clip, and was named Chase Tournament Most Valuable Player in 1998.

Junior Mollie Masten (Williamsport/Williamsport, Pa.), sophomore Leah Cornwell (Wheatland- Chili/Scottsville, N.Y.), and first-year Laura Hadwin (Vestal/Vestal, N.Y.) have dominated in the paint for the Herons. Masten tallies 6.9 points and 4.7 boards per contest, and shoots a team-best 81.4% from the free throw line. Cornwell leads the team in rebounding (8.4 rpg) and is second on the team in scoring with 11.5 ppg. Hadwin followed up a 16-point, 15-rebound performance against RIT with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the Herons' victory over Geneseo.

The Cardinals (10-1) are led by seniors Amanda Waloven (Hannibal/Hannibal, N.Y.) and Melissa Sewruk (C.W. Baker/Baldwinsville, N.Y.), who both average a team-high 8.5 rebounds per game. Waloven scores a team- best 17.3 points per contest, while Sewruk contributes 14.9.

William Smith travels to the University of Rochester on Tues., Jan. 18, at 7 p.m., before returning home against UCAA opponent Clarkson University on Fri., Jan. 21, at 6 p.m.

-- HWS SPORTS --