GENEVA, N.Y.—Junior guard
Giana Lobozzo dropped a team-high 20 points as the William Smith basketball team fell in a Liberty League thriller to Vassar 53-51 this evening in Bristol Gym.
Giana Lobozzo led the Herons with 20 points, shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from behind the arc, and added five rebounds, four steals and two assists. Junior
Ava Lobozzo chipped in six points, five rebounds, one steal and one assist, while classmate
Amelia McCulley added six points, six rebounds, two steals and one assist. First-year
Kira Ostovar went 2-for-2 from behind the arc as she recorded six points, two assists, one steal and one rebound in the loss.
Vassar was led by Maureen Regan's game-high 23 points. She added six points, four steals and one assist in the win. Emery Mullen added nine points, three rebounds and three steals, while Sierra McDermed chipped in six points, a game-high 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals for the Brewers.
TEAM TOTALS
- Rebounds: William Smith 35, Vassar 34
- Assists: William Smith 11, Vassar 8
- Turnovers: William Smith 23, Vassar 19
- Steals: Vassar 18, William Smith 14
- Blocked Shots: Vassar 4, William Smith 1
HERON STAT LEADERS
- Scoring: Giana Lobozzo 20, Ava Lobozzo 6, Amelia McCulley 6, Kira Ostovar 6, Carly Scott 5
- Rebounding: Amelia McCulley 6, Ava Lobozzo 5, Jojo Sulmasy 5, Giana Lobozzo 5, Miranda Martin 4
- Assists: Giana Lobozzo 2, Kira Ostovar 2, Miranda Martin 2, Ava Lobozzo 1, Jojo Sulmasy 1, Amelia McCulley 1, Dani Krenzer 1, Carly Scott 1
- Steals: Giana Lobozzo 4, Miranda Martin 3, Amelia McCulley 2, Carly Scott 2
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Both the Herons and the Brewers took some time to settle into the game before the two sides traded the early points. William Smith shot 27% from the floor in the opening quarter and held Vassar to just 21% as the Herons jumped out to a 9-7 lead after the first.
- The battle continued in the second quarter as the Brewers shot 50% from the floor compared to the Herons 31%. William Smith found crucial points from its bench as it pushed the pace of the game but was matched with an efficient Vassar side that outscored William Smith 14-12 in the second quarter. The Herons and Brewers would enter halftime tied 21-21.
- The conference thriller continued in the third quarter as William Smith outscored Vassar 18-16 in the third 10-minute period. The Herons put together a strong offensive showing in the third, shooting 57% from the floor, including 50% from behind the arc. William Smith found important points off Vassar's turnovers as it took a two-point lead heading into the final frame.
- In the final 10 minutes, both Vassar and William Smith continued to battle in hopes of grabbing the late momentum of the game. The Brewers came out strong to start the quarter and pushed their lead to as much as four points before a Giana Lobozzo three-pointer once again made it a one-point game. With 2:21 left in the game, Ostovar hit a clutch three-pointer to give William Smith the lead, but Vassar would go on a 3-0 scoring run in the final two minutes to end the conference thriller on top 53-51.
FOR THE RECORD
- William Smith drops to 3-21 on the season with a 1-16 mark in conference play.
- With the win, Vassar improves to 11-13 overall and 10-7 in the Liberty League.
UP NEXT
William Smith will be back in action tomorrow to close out its 2025-26 season with a Liberty League matchup against Bard. Action between the Herons and the Raptors is set to begin at 2 p.m. with a brief ceremony prior to tipoff honoring the William Smith basketball class of 2026.
