NEW YORK, N.Y.—The William Smith College basketball team shot 51 percent from the floor and dominated the first and third quarters to open the season with a 78-63 win over Johnson & Wales in the NYU Tipoff Classic. Junior forward Mia Morrison led the Herons with 18 points and 10 rebounds, her 13th career double-double.
 
All 13 William Smith players that entered the game scored at least two points. Morrison was 5-of-10 shooting and 8-of-9 at the free throw line. She was joined in double digits by junior guard Natalia Baum, who was 5-of-6 from the floor and 2-of-3 at the line for 12 points. First-years Stavriana Dimitrakopoulou and Juliana Gamboa each finished with seven points in their collegiate debut. Dimitrakopoulou and classmate Kyesha Talerico each blocked three shots.
 
The Wildcats had three players in double digits led by Raquel Pederzani's 18 points. Johnson & Wales shot just 35 percent from the floor and was outrebounded 49-28.
 
After falling behind 4-0, William Smith used a 19-5 run to build a 10-point lead with under a minute remaining in the first quarter. Six different Herons scored during the surge. Dimitrakopoulou led the way with five points and all three of her blocked shots.
 
The Wildcats managed to whittle their deficit down to five with three minutes into the second quarter, but a 7-1 run by the Herons, including five points from Morrison, pushed the lead back into double digits. William Smith led 41-33 at the half.
 
The Herons started the second half with another 19-5 run to expand their lead to 22, 60-38, with about a minute left in the third quarter. Gamboa led a balanced scoring effort during the run with five points. William Smith maintained a double digit lead throughout the fourth quarter.
 
William Smith (1-0) will take on the host Violets (2-0) in the Classic's finale at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 19.