UTICA, N.Y.—The William Smith basketball team saw its winning streak come to a close as it dropped a nonconference matchup with Utica 57-49 this afternoon.
 
Junior guard Giana Lobozzo led the Herons with 13 points, six rebounds and three steals in the loss. Classmate Miranda Martin added 10 points and seven rebounds, while senior Carly Scott came up big down the stretch and tallied nine points, one assist and one steal for William Smith.
 
Junior Amelia McCulley dropped eight points for the Herons and added seven rebounds and four assists in the setback. William Smith put on a strong defensive performance but struggled to get its offense rolling in the second half as Utica rallied past the Herons in the nonconference showdown.
 
Vanessa Hall led the Pioneers with 21 points, nine rebounds, three steals and an assist. McKenzie Simmons chipped in 14 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks, while Carly Atty added 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals in Utica's first ever win over William Smith.

TEAM TOTALS

• Rebounds: Utica 45, William Smith 41
• Assists: William Smith 7, Utica 7
• Turnovers: William Smith 18, Utica 15
• Steals: Utica 10, William Smith 8
• Blocked Shots: Utica 6, William Smith 0

HERON STAT LEADERS

• Scoring: Giana Lobozzo 13, Miranda Martin 10, Carly Scott 9, Amelia McCulley 8
• Rebounding: Miranda Martin 7, Amelia McCulley 7, Jojo Sulmasy 6, Giana Lobozzo 6, Ava Lobozzo 4
• Assists: Amelia McCulley 4, Eily Hubler 1, Bridget McCleary 1, Carly Scott 1
• Steals: Giana Lobozzo 3, Bridget McCleary 2, Ava Lobozzo 1, Eily Hubler 1, Carly Scott 1

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The opening quarter saw both sides take some time to settle into the game as both teams struggled to find their offensive rhythm early. William Smith was strong on the boards, grabbing 12 rebounds, including five offensive rebounds to keep the momentum of the game. After trading the early points, the Pioneers closed out the opening quarter on top 13-11 thanks to a Vanessa Hall layup.
• The Herons fought back in the second quarter, outscoring Utica 17-13 in the second 10-minute period. William Smith shot 43% from the floor and extended its lead to as much as six points before the Pioneers answered with two buckets of their own. Giana Lobozzo scored seven points in the second quarter to give the Herons a 28-26 lead heading into halftime.
• Like the first half, it took a few minutes for both sides to settle into the game to start the second half. Utica switched to a zone defense that William Smith struggled to fight through as the Pioneers forced several turnovers and scored crucial points on the fast break. Utica shot 47% from the floor and outscored the Herons 21-11 to jump out to a 47-39 lead heading into the final frame.
• Both the Herons and the Pioneers continued to struggle to find an offensive rhythm in the fourth quarter as William Smith shot 20% from the floor and Utica shot 9% from the floor in the final 10 minutes of play. The Herons nailed three three-pointers from McCulley and Scott late in the game to spark the comeback, but the Pioneers used the clock to their advantage and went 8-for-12 from the free throw line to close out the nonconference battle on top 57-49.

FOR THE RECORD

• With the loss, William Smith falls to 2-8 on the season.
• Utica improves to 4-5 with the win over the Herons.

UP NEXT
 
William Smith will be back in action Friday, Jan. 9, when it continues Liberty League play against Skidmore. Action between the Herons and the Thoroughbreds is set for 5:30 p.m. in Bristol Gymnasium.