BRADFORD, Pa.—The William Smith basketball team improved to 2-1 on the season after defeating Pitt-Bradford 66-61 this afternoon in a non-conference matchup at McDowell Sports & Fitness Center.
Senior guard Ava Lobozzo and junior forward Jojo Sulmasy led the Herons with 11 points each in the win. Ava Lobozzo added five rebounds and two assists while Sulmasy recorded three rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
Sophomore Kira Ostovar chipped in nine points, five assists, three rebounds and one block in the non-conference win. Junior Anne Keneally added seven points, three rebounds and two assists off the bench for William Smith.
Pitt-Bradford was led by a game-high 17 points, four steals, three rebounds and two assists from Brooke Przbylski. Mari Nixon added 13 points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists in the loss.
TEAM TOTALS
- Rebounds: William Smith 42, Pitt-Bradford 34
- Assists: William Smith 22, Pitt-Bradford 13
- Turnovers: William Smith 28, Pitt-Bradford 17
- Steals: Pitt-Bradford 21, William Smith 9
- Blocked Shots: William Smith 8, Pitt-Bradford 0
HERON STAT LEADERS
- Scoring: Ava Lobozzo 11, Jojo Sulmasy 11, Kira Ostovar 9, Anne Keneally 7
- Rebounding: Miranda Martin 9, Dani Krenzer 6, Ava Lobozzo 5, Giana Lobozzo 4
- Assists: Kira Ostovar 5, Giana Lobozzo 4, Jojo Sulmasy 3, Miranda Martin 2, Dani Krenzer 2, Ava Lobozzo 2, Anne Keneally 2
- Steals: Kira Ostovar 4, Giana Lobozzo 2, Dani Krenzer 2, Eily Hubler 1
HOW IT HAPPENED
- William Smith and Pitt-Bradford traded the early points as the Herons scored 19 points, shooting 57% from the floor compared to the Panthers' 19 points and 50% shooting percentage. Pitt-Bradford used sharp shooting from behind the arc to keep up with the Herons who pushed the pace of the game. William Smith and Pitt-Bradford closed out the opening quarter tied 19-19.
- The Herons used a big second quarter to grab the momentum of the game. William Smith outscored Pitt-Bradford 17-5 after holding the Panthers to just a 14.3% shooting percentage. This time, the Herons found the hot hand from behind the arc, firing off three three-pointers to take a 36-24 lead heading into halftime.
- William Smith continued to push the tempo in the third quarter, outscoring the Panthers 17-13. The Herons spread the offense, seeing several players score crucial points in the third quarter. First-year Amanda Dempsey scored a driving layup as time expired to give William Smith a 53-37 lead heading into the final frame.
- Pitt-Bradford stormed back in the final 10-minute quarter, combining for 24 points while holding William Smith to 13 points. The Panthers went on an 11-0 scoring run down the stretch to bring Pitt-Bradford back within three but the Herons locked down defensively and made their free throws through the final minutes as it closed out the non-conference battle on top 66-61.
COACHES CORNER
"In the end, UPB turned up the full court pressure and we struggled with it," said Head Coach Seraphine Hamilton '06. "We didn't do a good enough job taking care of the ball, but we stayed together, found a way to win, and I think that's what continued to come through with this group. This game will make us better moving forward."
FOR THE RECORD
- With the win, William Smith improves to 2-1 on the season.
- Pitt-Bradford drops to 1-3 with the non-conference loss.
UP NEXT
William Smith will be back in action Saturday, Nov. 21 when it hosts SUNY Brockport for its home opener. Action between the Herons and the Golden Eagles is set for 2 p.m. in Bristol Gym.
