Box Score TROY, N.Y.—The William Smith College basketball team fell to Rensselaer 69-60 this afternoon in Robison Gym. The Herons slipped to 11-9 overall and 5-4 in Liberty League action, while the Red Hawks improved to 14-5 on the season and 6-3 in the conference.

Sophomore forward Ashlinn Barber (Spencer-Van Etten/Spencer, N.Y.) led William Smith with 14 points, including 10 in the first half, and seven rebounds, while first-year forward Kristen Kush (Fulton/Fulton, N.Y.) and senior guard Paige Myers (Massena/Massena, N.Y.) added 12 and 11 points, respectively. Senior guard Latasha Coney (Lyons/Lyons, N.Y.) pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds, handed out a game-high six assists, and netted five points.

Whitney Coleman led Rensselaer with a game-high 19 points and eight rebounds, while Sarah Wetmore contributed 14 points and seven boards. Elizabeth Barker recorded 12 caroms as well for the Red Hawks.

RPI used a 7-2 run to take a 23-16 lead with 5 minutes, 52 seconds to play in the first half. The Herons answered with a 7-0 run of their own, tying the contest at 23-all with 3:48 on the clock. Kush sparked the rally with back-to-back jumpers, and Myers capped the run with a three-pointer from the corner.

The Red Hawks netted two unanswered buckets in the final minutes of the stanza to take a 27-23 advantage into halftime.

RPI scored seven unanswered points to start the second half, seizing a 34-23 lead. William Smith responded with a 13-2 run, and grabbed its first lead of the game, 37-36, with 12:36 remaining. Myers was responsible for five points during the stretch, while Coney, junior Erin Cunningham (Morris Knolls/Rockaway, N.J.), Kush, and sophomore Colleen Lukas (Southern Cayuga/Genoa, N.Y.) combined for nine.

The teams traded buckets for the next few possessions, but the Red Hawks began to pull away again with just over seven minutes left in regulation, taking a 49-41 lead following a basket by Coleman. By the 3:40 mark, the hosts had increased their lead to 14.

The Herons cut their deficit to seven, 67-60, with 34 seconds on the clock, but would run out of time.

William Smith will be back in action Feb. 13, when the Herons host St. Lawrence for a Liberty League contest at 6 p.m. Visit the William Smith basketball schedule page for live coverage options.