GENEVA, N.Y.­­—The St. Lawrence University basketball team jumped out to a 22-7 lead in the first quarter on its way to a 61-48 win over William Smith College in Bristol Gym tonight. Heron junior Mia Morrison scored a game-high 20 points and collected a team-high nine rebounds.
 
William Smith took an early 4-3 lead with Morrison scoring both Heron baskets, but the Saints took the lead for good by scoring the game's next eight points. Sophomore Emma Gallagher stopped the run with a layup, but SLU closed the quarter on an 11-1 run.
 
The Saints pushed their lead to as many as 19 in the second quarter before William Smith scored the final five points of the half to go into the locker room trailing 34-20. Morrison had a game-high 10 points at the break.
 
Late in the third quarter, the Herons managed to whittle their deficit down to nine, 40-31, on a layup by first-year Juliana Gamboa, but Katie Frederick closed the frame with a layup at the other end of the floor for an 11-point Saints lead with 10 minutes remaining.
 
Junior Olivia Hughes made the first basket of the fourth quarter to once again get William Smith within nine, but this time the Saints answered with nine straight points. Junior Meghan Hynes started the decisive push with a layup followed by a 3-pointer.
 
Gallagher joined Morrison in double figures, scoring 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting with a 3-pointer and a free throw. Senior Kendra Quinn-Moultrie logged a game-high four steals to go with five points.
 
Frederick logged a double-double for the Saints (14-5, 9-3), notching 10 points and 13 rebounds. Hynes finished with 10 points and senior Kaelyn Kohlasch had a team-high 11 points. First-year Marlee Gunn handed out a game-high five assists.
 
William Smith (11-9, 5-8) is back on the court at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3, when the Herons host Clarkson (8-11, 3-9). The Golden Knights suffered a 78-47 loss at RIT tonight.