GENEVA, N.Y.—Junior guard
Giana Lobozzo led the William Smith basketball team as it dropped a Liberty League matchup to RIT 68-39 this afternoon in Bristol Gymnasium.
Giana Lobozzo led the Herons with 13 points, five rebounds, four steals, four assists and one block. Senior
McKenzie Mandyck chipped in six points, and one rebound, while junior
Amelia McCulley added five points, four rebounds, two steals and a block in the loss. Sophomore
Bridget McCleary also added five points, five rebounds, two blocks and one steal for William Smith.
RIT was led by Maddy Ramsgard's game-high 18 points, seven rebounds, one assist and one steal. Sophia Spizuoco added 11 points, two rebounds and an assists, while Caroline Henderson and Faye Kaplinksi chipped in 10 points each and combined for 18 rebounds, five assists and two steals in the win.
TEAM TOTALS
- Rebounds: RIT 52, William Smith 34
- Assists: RIT 17, William Smith 9
- Turnovers: RIT 16, William Smith 13
- Steals: William Smith 11, RIT 8
- Blocked Shots: William Smith 5, RIT 1
HERON STAT LEADERS
- Scoring: Giana Lobozzo 13, McKenzie Mandyck 6, Amelia McCulley 5, Bridget McCleary 5, Jojo Sulmasy 4
- Rebounding: Giana Lobozzo 5, Bridget McCleary 5, Jojo Sulmasy 4, Amelia McCulley 4, Dani Krenzer 4
- Assists: Giana Lobozzo 4, Dani Krenzer 2, Jojo Sulmasy 1, Kira Ostovar 1, Carly Scott 1
- Steals: Giana Lobozzo 4, Dani Krenzer 3, Amelia McCulley 1, Kira Ostovar 1
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Tigers came out strong, pushing the early tempo and scoring crucial points in the paint. William Smith struggled to find its offensive rhythm in the opening quarter as it shot 14% from the floor. A jumper from Ava Lobozzo ended the scoring run for RIT, but the Tigers closed out the opening quarter on top, 21-4.
- The Herons responded well in the second quarter, shooting 47% from the floor, including 60% from behind the arc. William Smith also settled in defensively and made big stops, holding the Tigers to just 25% shooting from the floor. The Herons continued chipping away at RIT's lead and a clutch three from Mandyck as time expired brought William Smith back within seven heading into halftime.
- RIT opened the second half with a strong offensive showing, outscoring William Smith 23-12 in the third quarter. The Tigers dominated the boards, scoring crucial points on second chance opportunities and from its bench. RIT closed out the third quarter on top 55-37.
- The Tigers locked down defensively in the final quarter, forcing William Smith to four turnovers and only two points. RIT found some sharp shooting from behind the arc to extend its lead to as much as 29 points in the final quarter. The Tigers closed out the conference clash on top, 68-39.
FOR THE RECORD
- William Smith drops to 2-10 on the season with a 0-5 mark in conference play.
- With the win, RIT improves to 7-5 overall and 4-1 in the Liberty League.
UP NEXT
William Smith will be back in action Tuesday, Jan. 13, when it travels to Liberty League foe, Ithaca, for a midweek conference clash. Action between the Herons and the Bombers is set for 5:30 p.m. in Ben Light Gymnasium.
