ITHACA, N.Y.—The William Smith basketball team's late comeback fell just short as it dropped a Liberty League matchup to conference foe, Ithaca, 66-57, this afternoon in Ben Light Gymnasium.
 
Junior guard Giana Lobozzo led the Herons with 14 points, nine rebounds, two blocks, one steal and one assist in the loss. Classmate Ava Lobozzo chipped in 13 points, six rebounds, one steal and one assist, while Amelia McCulley added eight points, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal for William Smith. Junior Dani Krenzer played a key role in the late efforts for the Herons, tallying a career-high eight points and nine rebounds. She added three assists and one steal in the loss as well.
 
Ithaca was led by Tori Drevna's game-high 23 points, seven steals, four rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Kenzie Perluke added nine points, two steals and a rebound for the Bombers, while Natalie Tucker chipped in seven points, two rebounds and two assists in the win.

TEAM TOTALS

• Rebounds: William Smith 57, Ithaca 36
• Assists: Ithaca 18, William Smith 8
• Turnovers: William Smith 29, Ithaca 13
• Steals: Ithaca 19, William Smith 5
• Blocked Shots: Ithaca 10, William Smith 8

HERON STAT LEADERS

• Scoring: Giana Lobozzo 14, Ava Lobozzo 13, Amelia McCulley 8, Dani Krenzer 8
• Rebounding: Giana Lobozzo 9, Dani Krenzer 9, McKenzie Mandyck 8, Ava Lobozzo 6 Kira Ostovar 5
• Assists: Dani Krenzer 3, Ava Lobozzo 1, Giana Lobozzo 1, McKenzie Mandyck 1, Bridget McCleary 1, Miranda Martin1
• Steals: Ava Lobozzo 1, Giana Lobozzo 1, Amelia McCulley 1, McKenzie Mandyck 1, Dani Krenzer 1
• Blocks: Giana Lobozzo 2, Amelia McCulley 2, Jojo Sulmasy 1, Bridget McCleary 1, Kira Ostovar 1, Miranda Martin 1

HOW IT HAPPENED

• William Smith came out hot, shooting out to an 11-4 lead thanks to a strong showing from Giana Lobozzo. The Herons pushed the tempo and found points off of turnovers to grab the early lead. Ithaca responded with an 11-0 scoring run through the final three minutes of the opening quarter to grab a 15-11 lead heading into the second quarter.
• Both William Smith and Ithaca stepped up their play in the second quarter as both sides looked sharp offensively while also locking in defensively. The Herons shot 31% from the floor and scored crucial second chance opportunities after dominating the boards in the second period. The Bombers found sharp shooting from behind the arc late in the quarter to grab a 33-26 lead heading into halftime.
• Ithaca turned up the heat to start the second half, shooting 47% from the floor, including 67% from behind the arc. The Bombers' sharp shooting extended their lead to 18 to close out the third quarter.
• William Smith sparked a comeback in the final 10 minutes, outscoring Ithaca 18-9 in the final quarter. The Herons shot 50% from the floor and held the Bombers to just 17% as they clawed their way back into the game. William Smith continued to chip away at Ithaca's lead, including a clutch three pointer from first-year Eily Hubler, but the Bombers used the clock to its advantage as it closed out the conference battle on top, 66-57.

FOR THE RECORD

• William Smith drops to 2-11 on the season with a 0-6 record in conference play.
• With the win, Ithaca improves to 6-7 overall and 3-3 in the Liberty League.

UP NEXT
 
William Smith will be back in action Friday, Jan. 16, when it travels to Potsdam, New York, to take on Clarkson in a Liberty League matchup. Action between the Herons and the Golden Knights is set for 5:30 in Alumni Gymnasium.