GENEVA, N.Y.—Three players scored double digit points as the William Smith basketball team dropped a Liberty League matchup to Skidmore 65-49 this afternoon in Bristol Gymnasium.
 
Sophomore Jojo Sulmasy led the Herons with a season-high 14 points after shooting 6-for7 from the free throw line. She added two rebounds in the loss. Junior Amelia McCulley chipped in 12 points, three blocks, three rebounds and two steals, while senior McKenzie Mandyck added 11 points, shooting 3-for-5 from behind the arc. She added three rebounds and three assists in the setback.
 
Madison Meyer led the Thoroughbreds with 16 points, six rebounds, two steals and one assist. Claudia Schneider chipped in 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal to lead Skidmore to its first conference victory of the season.  

TEAM TOTALS

• Rebounds: Skidmore 48, William Smith 36
• Assists: William Smith 12, Skidmore 12
• Turnovers: William Smith 25, Skidmore 16
• Steals: Skidmore 15, William Smith 11
• Blocked Shots: William Smith 6, Skidmore 6

HERON STAT LEADERS

• Scoring: Jojo Sulmasy 14, Amelia McCulley 12, McKenzie Mandyck 11, Giana Lobozzo 4
• Rebounding: Bridget McCleary 8, Giana Lobozzo 5, Amelia McCulley 3, McKenzie Mandyck 3, Miranda Martin 3
• Assists: Giana Lobozzo 3, McKenzie Mandyck 3, Carly Scott 3, Dani Krenzer 1, Bridget McCleary 1, Kira Ostovar 1
• Steals: Giana Lobozzo 3, Amelia McCulley 2, Bridget McCleary 2, Miranda Martin 2

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Skidmore came out strong to open the conference clash, applying a full court press from the opening whistle. The Herons struggled to break through the press as William Smith racked up 10 turnovers in the opening quarter. The Thoroughbreds scored crucial early points off the turnovers to grab a 17-9 lead heading into the second quarter.
• Skidmore continued to apply the pressure in the second quarter and continued on its momentum through the second 10-minute period. William Smith locked in defensively and made some big stops to keep them in the game but a 4-0 scoring run to end the half would give the Thoroughbreds a 32-17 lead heading into halftime.
• William Smith settled into the game in the second half, breaking through the full court press to cut into its deficit. McCulley and Sulmasy led the Heron offense as it tried to claw its way back into the game but a Stella Criniti three-pointer would put a halt to William Smith's comeback and gave the Thoroughbreds a 20-point lead heading into the final 10 minutes.
• The Herons continued to fight in the final quarter, outscoring the Thoroughbreds 18-14. William Smith went 5-for-7 from the free throw line and found crucial points from its bench to spark the late push. Skidmore used the clock to its advantage and was efficient with its shooting to close out the conference battle on top 65-49.

FOR THE RECORD

• William Smith drops to 2-9 on the season with a 0-4 record in conference play.
• With the win, Skidmore improves to 3-7 overall and 1-2 in the Liberty League.

UP NEXT
 
William Smith will be back in action tomorrow when it hosts RIT for another conference clash. Action between the Herons and the Tigers is set for 2 p.m.