Box Score GENEVA, N.Y.—The William Smith College basketball team rallied from a four-point halftime deficit to defeat Skidmore College 64-65 in a Liberty League game played in Bristol Gym tonight. Junior forward Chloe Hayter led the way with a game-high 22 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
 
Trailing 35-31 at the half, the Herons (13-2, 6-0 LL) dominated the second half, outscoring the Thoroughbreds 33-19 after the break. Hayter had 12 points and nine boards in the second stanza.
 
William Smith scored the first five points coming out of the intermission on a Hayter jumper and a 3-pointer from senior Sasha Borenstein. The teams traded the lead back and forth over the next six minutes before the Herons used a 7-0 run, including five from Hayter, to take the lead for good.
 
It remained a two-possession game late into the contest with first-year center Migle Vilunaite making a jumper at the 3:50 mark to pull Skidmore within two, 56-54. William Smith closed out the game on a 10-0 run and harassed the Thoroughbred shooters as they missed their final seven shots from the floor.
 
William Smith shot 47.8 percent from the floor in the second half and 42.6 percent for the game. Borenstein made three 3-pointers to inch closer to Jill Brower's Heron career record. Borenstein has 247 career triples to Brower's 251. Junior forward Molly Breen added 10 points and seven boards off the bench.
 
Skidmore scored the first seven points of the game and never trailed in the first half. The Thoroughbreds shot 38.2 percent from the floor and made 5-of-14 from beyond the 3-point arc. A traditional 3-point play by sophomore guard Ella Scheuerell followed by a long-range 3-pointer from sophomore guard Amber Holgate gave Skidmore its largest lead of the half, 21-12. The T'breds led by eight midway through the half, but junior Molly Breen scored five straight points followed by a trey from senior Erin O'Brien to forge the only tie of the opening 20 minutes. Skidmore outscored William Smith 12-8 down the stretch for a 35-31 halftime lead.
 
The Thoroughbreds (6-9, 1-5 LL) were led by senior guard Jordyn Wartts' 16 points, 13 of which came in the first half, and junior forward Angela Botiba's 12 points and 11 rebounds. Skidmore shot just 25 percent in the second half, including 1-of-11 from 3-point range.
 
William Smith will be back in action on Saturday, Jan. 25, when the Herons host Rensselaer (4-11, 2-4). Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. Skidmore will visit RIT tomorrow at 2 p.m.