Box Score William Smith College junior guard Jacqueline Murphy notched her ninth career double-double, but an extended shooting slump by the Herons ended in a 57-46 Liberty League loss to Skidmore College in the Williamson Center in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., today.
 
One day after a season's best shooting performance in a win over Rensselaer, William Smith (7-4, 1-2) shot a season-low 20.3 percent from the floor. The Herons held the advantage in rebounds (47-45) and turnovers (19-24), but were unable to overcome their shooting woes.
 
Sophomore forward Molly Breen made the backend of a two-shot foul to trim William Smith's deficit to two, 18-16, with 4:11 remaining in the first half. The Thoroughbreds seized control of the contest with a 10-0 to finish the half. Jordyn Watts punctuated the surge with a 3-pointer just ahead of the final horn. The Herons played the final 7:12 of the half without making a field goal, an unfortunate streak that stretched to 9:10 before Murphy made a layup nearly two minutes into the second half.
 
Skidmore (4-7, 2-0) led 28-16 at halftime.
 
Through the first 10 minutes of the second half, the Thoroughbreds outscored the Herons 19-8 to build a 47-24 lead. Skylar Caligaris drilled a 3-pointer at the 10:16 mark, giving the home team its largest lead of the day.
 
Despite the daunting deficit, William Smith did not give up without a fight. The Herons turned up their defensive intensity and forced Skidmore into a shooting slump not unlike the one that had afflicted them just minutes early. The Thoroughbreds waited 8:31 before scoring their 48th point of the game while William Smith scored 16 unanswered. Senior guard Sydni Salvatore led the way with eight points and Murphy chipped in six as the Herons whittled the Skidmore lead down to just seven.
 
With less than two minutes remaining, the Thoroughbreds quelled the threat with five straight points at the free throw line to push their lead back into double digits.
 
Murphy scored a team-high 14 points, grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, and made three steals. Salvatore added 10 points and three steals and sophomore forward Chloe Hayter contributed nine points and four rebounds.
 
For Skidmore, Wartts posted game-highs of 19 points, four assists, and three steals. Caligaris made four 3-pointers and finished the game with 14 points and six rebounds. Angela Botiba corralled a team-high 10 rebounds and blocked four shots, part of a nine block effort by the Thoroughbreds.
 
William Smith will be back in action on Tuesday, Jan. 8, when the Herons host RIT. The Liberty League game is set to tip off at 6 p.m. in Bristol Gym.