FREDONIA, N.Y.—The William Smith basketball team closed out opening weekend with a 66-46 non-conference loss at Fredonia this afternoon.
Junior guard Ava Lobozzo led the Herons with 12 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal in the loss. Classmate Amelia McCulley added 11 points, three steals, two rebounds and an assist, while first-year Amanda Dempsey finished with a career-high eight points, one assist and one rebound for William Smith.
Junior Giana Lobozzo chipped in seven points, five steals, three rebounds and an assist for the Herons this afternoon. Sophomore Kira Ostovar added five points, a team-high seven rebounds, two blocks and one assist in the loss.
Fredonia was led by Aliyah Hopkins' game-high 17 points, eight rebounds, one steal and one assist. Grace Alexander chipped in 15 points, eight rebounds, six assists and five steals, while Ashley Kalvitis recorded 11 points, five steals, two rebounds and two assists in the win.
TEAM TOTALS
- Rebounds: Fredonia 30, William Smith 29
- Assists: Fredonia 15, William Smith 9
- Turnovers: William Smith 29, Fredonia 19
- Steals: Fredonia 21, William Smith 12
- Blocked Shots: William Smith 2, Fredonia 0
HERON STAT LEADERS
- Scoring: Ava Lobozzo 12, Amelia McCulley 11, Amanda Dempsey 8, Giana Lobozzo 7
- Rebounding: Kira Ostovar 7, Ava Lobozzo 4, Bridget McCleary 4, Jojo Sulmasy 3, Giana Lobozzo 3
- Assists: Jojo Sulmasy 2, Ava Lobozzo 1, Eily Hubler 1, Kira Ostovar 1, Amelia McCulley 1, Dani Krenzer 1, Amanda Dempsey 1, Giana Lobozzo 1
- Steals: Giana Lobozzo 5, Amelia McCulley 3, Ava Lobozzo 1, Anne Keneally 1, Bridget McCleary 1, Allie Gagnon 1
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Blue Devils came out hot in the opening quarter, combining for 17 points compared to the Herons' 11. Fredonia grabbed nine early boards, creating crucial second chance opportunities to secure the early lead after the first 10-minute period.
- William Smith struggled to gain offensive momentum in the second quarter as it combined for eight points, while Fredonia added 14. The Blue Devils locked down defensively in the second, forcing six steals in the 10-minute period to close out the first half on top, 31-19.
- The third quarter saw the Herons and the Blue Devils trade momentum. Fredonia combined for 14 points, shooting 36% from the floor, while William Smith combined for 10 points and a 28% field goal percentage. The Herons tried to spark momentum from behind the arc down the stretch as McCulley and Dempsey sunk crucial threes, but the Blue Devils maintained their lead and closed out the third quarter on top, 45-29.
- Both sides saw their best offensive performances in the final frame as Fredonia combined for 21 points (61.5%) compared to William Smith's 17 points (35.7%). The Herons tried to make a late push but the Blue Devils used the clock to their advantage and shot 3-for-4 from the line to close out the non-conference battle on top, 66-46.
FOR THE RECORD
- William Smith drops to 1-1 on the season after suffering its first loss of the season.
- With the win, Fredonia improves to 1-0 overall.
UP NEXT
William Smith will be back in action Saturday, Nov. 14, when it travels to Bradford, Pennsylvania, for a non-conference matchup at Pitt-Bradford. Action between the Herons and the Panthers is set for 2 p.m.
