The William Smith College basketball team will open the 2017-18 season this weekend in the New York University Tipoff Classic. The Herons will take on Johnson & Wales (R.I.) on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. and then square off against the host Violets on Sunday at 2 p.m. Both games will be played at Hunter College's Sportsplex.
 
William Smith Head Coach Lindsay Sharman returns for her 14th season with a career record of 181-132. This year's squad features seven players that started at some point last season. The graduation of six seniors, most notably 1,000-point scorer Melanie Patterson, will be cushioned by the arrival of five members of the Class of 2021.
 
The Herons are coming off a 2016-17 season that saw them post a 17-9 overall record. William Smith went 11-5 in Liberty League play, finishing second in the final standings. After a 1-2 start to the season, the Herons won 11 of their next 12 games, including eight straight victories to start the calendar year (the one loss was to eighth-ranked Wartburg).
 
This year's lineup features a pair of seniors, Sarah Brophy and Kendra Quinn-Moultrie, who bring a veteran presence to the backcourt. Brophy has appeared in 68 games over the past three seasons, while Quinn-Moultrie has 19 starts on her 58-game resume.
 
William Smith returns three of its top six scorers from last year's team, juniors Mia Morrison, Natalia Baum and Olivia Hughes. A first team All-Liberty League pick last year, Morrison averaged 14.0 ppg, a team-high 7.3 rpg and 1.8 spg. A transfer from Connecticut College, Baum was impressive in her first season in Bristol Gym, producing 10.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.6 apg and a team-high 2.1 spg. Hughes contributed 5.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.7 apg and 1.6 spg.
 
Juniors Adrianne Torea and Mara Sindoni add depth to the frontcourt and backcourt, respectively.
 
Sophomores Emma Gallagher (3.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg) and Annaliese Schreder (1.2 ppg, 2.1 rpg) were key contributors in their first season as Herons, especially on the defensive end of the floor. Gallagher was often tasked with guarding the opponent's top guard. Her efforts earned her a spot on the Liberty League All-Rookie Team.
 
The Herons return from NYC for their home opener against No. 21 Rochester on Tuesday, Nov. 21 at 6 p.m. It will be William Smith's only home game in 2018. The Herons will close out the calendar year with five straight road games, including their Liberty League opening weekend at Union and Vassar on Dec. 1-2.
 
The Liberty League head coaches couldn't agree on a preseason favorite, so defending champion RIT and league newcomer Ithaca shared the top spot in the poll.  The Herons first road trip of 2017 begins with a weekend showdown at RIT and Ithaca on Jan. 5-6.
 
Skidmore was picked to finish third, Vassar fourth and William Smith fifth. Clarkson, St. Lawrence, Union, RPI and Bard round out the preseason ranking.
 
"It's always a motivating tool for the team," Sharman said about being in the middle of the poll. "It teaches them that you have to earn your respect. You can't just walk into the season at the top. You have to earn it every year."