GENEVA, N.Y.—The William Smith basketball team saw its second half comeback fall just short as it dropped a Liberty League matchup to Clarkson 62-52 this afternoon in Bristol Gym.
Three Herons dropped double-digit points in the loss and were led by senior guard
McKenzie Mandyck's 11 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Junior
Amelia McCulley chipped in 11 points, three steals, two rebounds and one assist, while classmate
Ava Lobozzo added 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block. Sophomore
Jojo Sulmasy also added eight points and seven rebounds in the loss.
Clarkson was led by Addie Kea's game-high 25 points, four rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block. Fallon Griffin chipped in 20 points, six rebounds and one steal, while Alexis Kress added eight points, three steals and two rebounds in the win.
TEAM TOTALS
- Rebounds: William Smith 42, Clarkson 37
- Assists: William Smith 10, Clarkson 9
- Turnovers: Clarkson 18, William Smith 16
- Steals: William Smith 15, Clarkson 15
- Blocked Shots: Clarkson 3, William Smith 2
HERON STAT LEADERS
- Scoring: McKenzie Mandyck 11, Amelia McCulley 11, Ava Lobozzo 10, Jojo Sulmasy 8
- Rebounding: Jojo Sulmasy 7, McKenzie Mandyck 7, Ava Lobozzo 6, Bridget McCleary 5, Dani Krenzer 4
- Assists: Ava Lobozzo 3, McKenzie Mandyck 2, Eily Hubler 2, Kira Ostovar 1, Giana Lobozzo 1, Amelia McCulley 1
- Steals: Amelia McCulley 3, Ava Lobozzo 2, Giana Lobozzo 2, McKenzie Mandyck 2, Dani Krenzer 2
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Clarkson jumped out to a 4-0 lead to open the game, but William Smith responded well with three points of their own to keep the game close. The two sides traded the early points as the Herons shot 19% from the floor and the Golden Knights shot 27% from the floor. Clarkson closed out the opening quarter with a 12-9 lead.
- The Golden Knights continued on their momentum in the second quarter, outscoring the Herons 21-11 in the second 10-minute period. Clarkson shot 69% from the floor, including 60% from behind the arc to extend its lead. William Smith shot 33% from the floor but racked up four turnovers as the Golden Knights maintained a 13-point lead heading into halftime.
- William Smith responded well in the third quarter, shooting 36% from the floor, while holding Clarkson to just 23%. The Herons outscored the Golden Knights 12-10 and also outrebounded Clarkson to cut into the Golden Knights lead.
- The Herons continued to push the tempo in the fourth quarter, again outscoring the Golden Knights 20-19. Clarkson continued its efficient offensive showing though, shooting 63% from the floor, including 8-for-10 from the free throw line to maintain its lead. A 3-pointer from Mandyck would bring William Smith within six with under a minute remaining but the Golden Knights used the clock to their advantage and shot well from the free throw line to close out the conference battle on top, 62-52.
FOR THE RECORD
- William Smith falls to 3-20 on the season with a 1-15 mark in conference play.
- With the win, Clarkson improves to 10-13 overall and 6-10 in the Liberty League.
UP NEXT
William Smith will be back in action Friday, Feb. 20, when it hosts Vassar for a Liberty League matchup in Bristol Gym. Action between the Herons and the Brewers is set for 5:30 p.m.
