ROCHESTER, N.Y.— First-year Jojo Sulmasy led the William Smith basketball team as it fell to RIT 86-47 in a Liberty League matchup in Clark Gymnasium this afternoon.

Sulmasy led the Herons with a team-high 10 points and six rebounds against the Tigers. Sophomore Miranda Martin chipped in nine points, three rebounds and one block off the bench, while junior McKenzie Mandyck added a season-high seven points, three assists, one steal and one rebound for William Smith.

RIT had five different players record double-digit points in the win. The Tigers were led by Caroline Henderson with 16 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Maddy Ramsgard chipped in 15 points, six rebounds and five assists. Faye Kaplinksi and Ben Kayser-Cochran added 12 points each in the win, while Kaitlyn Bockelman tallied 11 points and six rebounds for the Tigers.

TEAM TOTALS

• Rebounds: RIT 40, William Smith 26
• Assists: RIT 20, William Smith 11
• Turnovers: William Smith 16, RIT 7
• Steals: RIT 10, William Smith 3

HERON STAT LEADERS

• Scoring: Jojo Sulmasy 10, Miranda Martin 9, McKenzie Mandyck 7, Giana Lobozzo 5, Bridget McCleary 5
• Rebounding: Jojo Sulmasy 6, Giana Lobozzo 4, Miranda Martin 3, Anne Keneally 2, Molly Walsh 2, Ava Lobozzo 2, Carly Scott 2
• Assists: Anne Keneally 4, McKenzie Mandyck 3, Giana Lobozzo 2, Molly Walsh 1, Carly Scott 1
• Steals: Molly Walsh 1, Giana Lobozzo 1, McKenzie Mandyck 1

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Tigers came out hot, shooting 65% from the floor and shot 2-for-3 from behind the arc to grab the early lead. RIT used an 8-0 run to close out the opening quarter with a 12-point lead over the Herons.
• William Smith responded well in the second quarter and grabbed crucial boards to keep them in the game. The Tigers forced five Heron turnovers which led to 14 points for RIT. The Tigers used this momentum to grab a 19-point lead heading into halftime.
• RIT opened the second half with a big third quarter as it shot 50% from the floor and 75% from behind the arc. The Tigers held the Herons to just 23% from the floor and forced eight turnovers to extend their lead.
• The Tigers continued on their momentum in the final quarter and found 10 points in the paint to maintain the lead. The Herons tried to claw their way back into the game, but RIT continued to use sharp shooting to end any momentum William Smith found. The Tigers closed out the conference matchup on top to complete the series sweep.

FOR THE RECORD

• William Smith falls to 2-17 on the season with a 2-10 mark in the Liberty League.
• With the win, RIT moves to 11-7 overall with a 9-2 mark in conference play.

UP NEXT
 
William Smith will be back in action Friday, Feb. 7, when it travels to the north country for a Liberty League matchup with Clarkson. Tipoff between the Herons and the Golden Knights is set for 5:30 p.m. in Alumni Gymnasium.