Box Score THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.--The William Smith College basketball team upset nationally ranked George Fox University 61-58 in the first round of the Posada Royale Tournament today. Senior guard Marisa Vespa (Immaculate Heart/Watertown, N.Y.) led the Herons with 19 points, six assists, and three steals.

The Bruins (5-1), who came into the game ranked 15th by D3hoops.com and 16th in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll, scored the first five points of the game, but William Smith (4-1) responded with a 9-2 run to take over the lead. Senior forward Stephanie Czajkowski (Bishop Ludden/Syracuse, N.Y.) netted four of her 12 points in the surge.

GFU managed to tie the game three times in the opening stanza, including 24-24 with 39 seconds remaining, but Vespa sank a three-pointer to send the Herons into the intermission with a 27-24 lead.

The Bruins came out of the locker room on fire, reclaiming the lead with a 20-5 run. George Fox knocked down five threes during the five minute push, including three straight to give the Bruins a 44-32 lead.

William Smith still trailed 50-41 with 8:12 remaining, but a 9-0 run wiped out the deficit. Sophomore forward Erin Cunningham (Morris Knolls/Rockaway, N.J.) hit baskets bookending the run. She finished with eight points and a game-high nine rebounds.

GFU netted five unanswered points to go back in front and still clung to a 56-55 lead with 2:54 to go. Junior guard Latasha Coney (Lyons/Lyons, N.Y.) made a steal and layup 30 seconds later to put the Herons on top. She had 10 points in the game.

Bruin Katy Campbell hit a pair of free throws for a 58-57 lead with 2:04 remaining, capping a team-high 14-point performance.

Nineteen seconds later, Vespa connected twice from the charity stripe for the ninth and final lead change of the contest. George Fox missed a pair of shots to reclaim the lead down the stretch and Vespa made a steals with seven second left to quell the threat. Senior guard Paula Foote (Sidney/Sidney, N.Y.) seal the victory with two free throws with four ticks left.

William Smith will face the tournament host, California Lutheran University, in the championship game on Tues., Dec. 18, at 6 p.m. PST (9 p.m. EST). The Regals defeated Cal State-East Bay 58-39.