Box Score SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.—The #20/#21 William Smith basketball team won for the ninth consecutive time, dispatching Liberty League rival Skidmore 69-49. The Herons shot a season’s best 52.6 percent from the floor, sinking 30 of 57 shots on the night.

Senior forward Stephanie Czajkowski (Bishop Ludden/Syracuse, N.Y.) paced the visitors with 15 points and six rebounds. Graduate student guard Paula Foote (Sidney/Sidney, N.Y.) and sophomore forward Erin Cunningham (Morris Knolls/Rockaway, N.J.) each contributed 12 points for William Smith. Senior guard Marisa Vespa (Immaculate Heart/Watertown, N.Y.) chipped in game-highs of six assists and five steals to go with five points.

Skidmore’s Sharlyn Harper was the only Thoroughbred to hit double digits, finishing the night with a game-high 20 points.

The Herons (12-1, 3-0) never trailed in the contest. Cunningham scored the night’s first points with a jumper that Harper answered. William Smith broke the early tie with a 16-2 run keyed by six-point efforts from Cunningham and Foote.

Skidmore (9-6, 2-2) countered with a 9-0 run to close the gap to just five points, but an 8-2 run by the Herons pushed the lead back into double digits for good. William Smith led 41-20 at halftime.

The Thoroughbreds committed 28 turnovers and shot just 35.3 percent from the floor for the game.

The Herons are back in action on Jan. 26, when they travel to Union for a 2 p.m. tipoff. Live stats of the game will be available on the Union Web site.