GENEVA, N.Y.—First-year Jessica Glaz scored 10 of her 23 points in overtime to lift the Rochester Institute of Technology to an 88-77 Liberty League women's basketball victory over William Smith College in Bristol Gym tonight.
 
Tigers junior Ashlynn Palmitesso led all scorers with 24 points before fouling out in the final minute of overtime. Senior Sarah Wolcott notched 14 points and 10 boards, while senior Merissa Maiorano added 12 points and eight rebounds. RIT shot 42 percent from the floor, and 89 percent at the free throw line.
 
Senior Chloe Hayter led the Herons with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore Melanie Patterson added 18 points and a game-high six assists. Sophomore Courtney Chase also scored 18 points. The Herons shot 37 percent from the floor with 10 3-pointers and 85 percent at the free throw line.
 
William Smith led 35-32 at halftime thanks to one of its best shooting performances of the season. Through the first 20 minutes, the Herons shot 56 percent from the floor, including 5-of-9 from behind the 3-point arc. Hayter led the charge, making 5-of-7 with a 3-pointer. Patterson added 8 points on 3-of-5 shooting with a 3-pointer. She also dished out four helpers.
 
In the second half, neither team led by more than five and the two sides entered the final two minutes knotted at 65. Chase earned a trip to the free throw line with 32 seconds to go and made both to put William Smith up 67-65. Eleven seconds later, Palmitesso made a layup to forge another tie. The Herons had two looks at the basket in the waning seconds of regulation, but both shots rolled off the rim.
 
The key to RIT's success was its free throw shooting. The Tigers made all 11 of their shots from the charity stripe in regulation. One miss in the first 40 minutes and the Herons would have eked out the win.
 
As it was, the RIT offense, led by Glaz, found another gear in overtime, making 4-of-7 from the floor in the final five minutes and 12-of-15 at the line. The Tigers sank 18 free throws in a row overall before missing their first. RIT finished the night 23-of-26 at the line.
 
RIT (12-12, 6-9) will close out the regular season, hosting Union College at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20. William Smith (4-19, 3-12) ends the season at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22, when the Herons travel to Union.