GENEVA, N.Y.—Hamilton College sophomore Kelcie Zarle hit a short jumper in the lane with 13.1 seconds remaining to give the Continentals a 67-65 lead over William Smith College in non-conference basketball action tonight. The Herons got off a pair of 3-pointers in the waning seconds, but Hamilton was able to hold on for the two-point win.
William Smith sophomore
Stella Davis was the game's leading scorer with 16 points, including three 3-pointers. Classmate
Olivia Parisi notched her third straight double-double on 15 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Junior
Stavriana Dimitrakopoulou also had 15 points, while senior
Annaliese Schreder scored 13 points.
Senior Maria Steiner led Hamilton (8-1) with 15 points off the bench. She was 5-of-9 shooting with four 3-pointers. Senior Carly O'Hern added three 3-pointers and 13 points. Zarle logged nine points.
William Smith (5-3) trailed for most of the contest, briefly taking a 26-25 lead in the second quarter that Zarle erased with a layup less than a minute later. Despite having just seven players available due to injuries, the Herons maintained a relentless fight throughout the contest.
Hamilton led by just two at the end of the first quarter and carried a 41-35 lead into the break. Davis was the top scorer at intermission with 13 points, while Steiner paced the visitors with 12.
By the end of the third quarter, the Continentals had stretched their lead to eight, 55-47. With just under five minutes to go in the game, junior Scout Lansing made a layup to give Hamilton its largest lead of the night, 64-53. Lansing posted a game-high eight assists to go with four points.
Over the next four and a half minutes, William Smith used a 12-1 run to tie the game with 21.2 seconds left. Davis (1-2) and Schreder (2-2) combined for 3 points at the free throw line and Dimitrakopoulou matched that total with a shot from beyond the arc to make it a 64-59 game with just under four minutes to play. Parisi's layup near the two-minute mark, closed the gap to three points and then she earned a trip to the line, making both to make the score 64-63.
The Herons were whistled for a foul at the 1:23 mark, putting junior Kayla Glemaud (3 pts, 6 rebs) on the line. She made the first, but missed the second to make it a two-point game. Both teams misfired on their next shot from the floor before Parisi's layup fell through the cylinder with 21.2 seconds, tying the game.
Hamilton called time out and advanced the ball across midcourt. Lansing got the ball on the left wing and got a pass into Zarle in the middle of the paint who quickly hoisted a jumper for the lead.
William Smith used their final time out to advance the ball. Davis got off the first 3-point try that ricocheted out near the top of the key. Dimitrakopoulou was able to push the loose ball out to Schreder, who fired off a quick, ill-fated shot just ahead of the horn.
Hamilton shot 38 percent from the floor while holding William Smith to 30 percent shooting. Both teams made nine 3-pointers. The Herons had the upper hand at the line, making more than twice as many free throws (18) as the Continentals attempted (8). William Smith outrebounded Hamilton 47-36, but the Continentals were plus seven in turnover margin.
William Smith will return to action in the new year. The Herons travel to Keuka (4-3) on Jan. 6. Hamilton is off until Dec. 29 when it plays Bridgewater State.
