GENEVA, N.Y.—The William Smith College basketball team held visiting Skidmore College to a season-low scoring effort to claim sole possession of first place in the Liberty League this afternoon. Winners of six in a row, the Herons never trailed on their way to a 65-44 win, limiting the Thoroughbreds to a season-low 25 percent shooting.
 
William Smith sophomore forward Mia Morrison scored a game-high 18 points and grabbed five rebounds and a game-high four steals. Senior guard Melanie Patterson posted 14 points and a game-high five assists. Senior guard Alyssa DiCampli chipped in 10 points.
 
Senior guard Kelly Donnelly paced Skidmore with 17 points (all in the first half) and a game-high 12 rebounds. She was the only Thoroughbred with more than six points in the game.
 
From the opening tip, the Herons were fired up, scoring the first six points of the game and building an 11-2 lead before the contest was three minutes old. All five William Smith starters scored in the surge. Skidmore battled back to make it a two-point game, 16-14, by the end of the first quarter.
 
The Herons hung onto a one or two-possession lead for most of the second quarter, before closing the half on a 9-2 run to carry a 32-24 edge into halftime. Morrison scored six of William Smith's points in the final four minutes of the half with Kendra Quinn-Moultrie adding a 3-pointer.
 
The Herons shot 37 percent in the opening 20 minutes, while limiting the Thoroughbreds to just 23 percent shooting. William Smith was especially sharp from long-range, making 4-of-8 3-point tries. Skidmore was just 1-for-10 from deep.
 
The Herons (11-3, 5-0) dominated the third quarter, outscoring the Thoroughbreds 20-8. William Smith also tightened its on Donnelly, holding her scoreless. The fourth quarter saw the home team stretch its lead to as many as 25 points as the Herons cruised to the victory.
 
William Smith now sits alone in first place in the Liberty League, one game ahead of Skidmore and two games clear of Vassar. Every other conference team has three or more league losses.
 
William Smith will be back in action on Friday, Jan. 20, when the Herons visit Clarkson University. Skidmore will also play on Jan. 20, visiting Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Tipoff for both games is scheduled for 6 p.m.