Box Score GENEVA, N.Y.—Sophomore forward Ashlinn Barber (Spencer-Van Etten/Spencer, N.Y.) scored a career-high 29 points to lead the William Smith basketball team to a 76-73 Liberty League victory over Union. The Herons improve to 9-7 overall, 3-2 in the conference, while the Dutchwomen lose for the first time in league action, slipping to 10-4, 4-1.

The first half was a back and forth affair. Union grabbed the biggest lead of the opening 20 minutes (33-27) on sophomore forward Lauren Hennessey's (Burlington/Burlington, Mass.) layup with 51 seconds remaining, but William Smith whittled its deficit to one with the final five points of the half. The Herons carried that momentum into the second half, scoring the first eight points of the stanza.

Late in the frame, Union roared back with an 11-2 run to take a 60-55 lead with 6:32 to play. With 4:14 to go, sophomore guard Leah Pepe's (Amsterdam/Amsterdam, N.Y.) traditional three-point play gave the Dutchwomen a 67-61 lead. William Smith countered with seven unanswered points, including five from Barber, to reclaim the lead, 68-67, with 1:49 remaining.

Sophomore forward Lauren McCormick (Catholic/Hoosick Falls, N.Y.) tied the contest by making the front end of a two shot trip to the line at the 1:34 mark and put Union up one with a three-point play 43 seconds later. It was the Dutchwomen's final lead.

Twenty seconds later, Barber stepped to the line and sank a pair of freebies. She came away with a steal on the defensive end of the floor and was fouled, producing two more makes and a three-point lead with 16 ticks left. William Smith was whistled for a foul with 12 seconds to go and senior guard Selin Whitham (S. Windsor/S. Windsor, Conn.) made both to make it a one-point game again. Senior guard Paige Myers (Massena/Massena, N.Y.) was fouled on the in-bound play and made both shots from the line to restore the three-point lead. Union's final shot was off the mark and senior guard Latasha Coney (Lyons/Lyons, N.Y.) corralled the last of her game-high 11 rebounds to secure the victory.

First-year forward Kristen Kush (Fulton/Fulton, N.Y.) and junior forward Erin Cunningham (Morris Knolls/Rockaway, N.J.) joined Barber in double figures with 14 and 10 points, respectively. Sophomore guard Mollie Danahy (Troy/Troy, N.Y.) dished out a game-high eight assists, scored seven points, and grabbed five boards.

McCormick paced Union with 18 points, while senior guard senior guard Rachel Scott (Colonie/Colonie, N.Y.) and Whitham added 17 and 14, respectively.

William Smith begins a four-game road trip at Clarkson on Jan. 30. Tipoff against the Golden Knights is scheduled for 6 p.m. Union will return home to host Vassar at 6 p.m. on Jan. 30.