GENEVA, N.Y.— Sophomore Miranda Martin dropped a career-high 29 points as the William Smith basketball team cruised to a 71-38 win over Bard this afternoon in Bristol Gymnasium.

Martin had a standout performance against the Raptors, shooting 60% from the floor, including 3-for-5 from behind the arc to beat her career best by 12 points. She added six rebounds and one block in the win for the Herons.

Sophomore Giana Lobozzo chipped in 10 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals in the win, while classmate Charlotte Miller added seven points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal off the bench for William Smith. Junior Carly Scott went 2-for-4 from behind the arc for the Herons, while William Smith's lone senior, Molly Walsh, tallied five points, five rebounds and five assists in her final game in Bristol Gymnasium.

Erin Tobes led Bard with 10 points, six rebounds, two steals and one assist, while Shirley Dong chipped in six points, three rebounds and a steal in the loss. Lexi Miller grabbed a team-high nine boards for the Raptors.

TEAM TOTALS

• Rebounds: William Smith 59, Bard 45
• Assists: William Smith 17, Bard 6
• Turnovers: Bard 19, William Smith 16
• Steals: William Smith 9, Bard 9
• Blocked Shots: William Smith 5, Bard 0

HERON STAT LEADERS

• Scoring: Miranda Martin 29, Giana Lobozzo 10, Charlotte Miller 7, Carly Scott 6, Molly Walsh 5
• Rebounding: Amelia McCulley 8, Bridget McCleary 7, Giana Lobozzo 7, Ava Lobozzo 6, Miranda Martin 6
• Assists: Molly Walsh 5, Giana Lobozzo 4, Ava Lobozzo 2, Bridget McCleary 1, Amelia McCulley 1, Charlotte Miller 1, Carly Scott 1, Grace O'Connor 1, McKenzie Mandyck 1
• Steals: Giana Lobozzo 3, Amelia McCulley 2, Ava Lobozzo 1, Bridget McCleary 1, Charlotte Miller 1, Grace O'Connor 1

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Bard jumped out to a 5-0 lead to open the contest before a 9-0 scoring run by William Smith gave the Herons the early lead. Martin took over and gave William Smith all the offense it needed as she scored nine points to give the Herons a 15-9 lead after the opening quarter.
• Both teams turned up the heat in the second quarter and played to their strengths to score crucial points. The Raptors found 10 points in the paint, while the Herons used fast breaks to their advantage to maintain their lead. Martin continued to impress for William Smith as she recorded 12 more points to help the Herons to a 10-point lead heading into halftime.
• The Herons continued on their momentum into the third quarter and locked down defensively, allowing the Raptors to only four points through ten minutes of play. William Smith shot 43.8% from the floor to combine for 19 points and found eight points in the paint to extend their lead. The Herons closed out the third quarter up 53-28.
• William Smith used the clock to their advantage and put on a strong defensive showing in the final 10 minutes of play. The Herons held the Raptors to just 10 points and found big boards from junior Faith Okoli off the bench. Miller, Lobozzo and McCleary led William Smith offensively in the fourth quarter and combined for 14 of the Herons 18 points in the final quarter to close out the conference battle on top, 71-38.

FOR THE RECORD

• With the win, William Smith completes the series sweep and moves to 3-20 on the season with a 3-13 mark in the Liberty League.
• Bard falls to 2-21 with the loss and a 0-16 mark in conference play.

UP NEXT
 
William Smith will be back in action Friday, Feb. 21 when it heads to Poughkeepsie, New York, to take on Vassar in a Liberty League matchup. Action between the Herons and the Brewers is set for 5:30 p.m.