GENEVA, N.Y.—The William Smith basketball team concluded its season with a 65-43 Liberty League win over Bard this afternoon which was powered by a career day from junior guard Amelia McCulley.
 
McCulley led the Herons with a career-high tying 24 points, shooting 50% from the floor and 100% from the free throw line. She added a team-leading eight rebounds, one assist and one block. McCulley's 21st block of the season was the 89th of her career, moving her into a tie for second on the program record list for career blocks with Mia Morrison '19.
 
Senior Carly Scott added 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal, while junior Miranda Martin chipped in eight points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Sophomore Jojo Sulmasy added six points and two rebounds in the win.
 
Bard was led by Erin Tobes' 15 points, four rebounds, three steals and one assist. Morgan Kottka added 12 points, 10 rebounds and one block, while Shirley Dong chipped in nine points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals for the Raptors.

TEAM TOTALS

• Rebounds: William Smith 54, Bard 40
• Assists: William Smith 15, Bard 7
• Turnovers: Bard 15, William Smith 15
• Steals: William Smith 9, Bard 7
• Blocked Shots: William Smith 3, Bard 2

HERON STAT LEADERS

• Scoring: Amelia McCulley 24, Carly Scott 13, Miranda Martin 8, Jojo Sulmasy 6
• Rebounding: Amelia McCulley 8, Bridget McCleary 8, Giana Lobozzo 8, Ava Lobozzo 7, Miranda Martin 7
• Assists: Miranda Martin 3, Giana Lobozzo 3, Carly Scott 2, Dani Krenzer 2, Bridget McCleary 2, Kira Ostovar 2
• Steals: Giana Lobozzo 3, Miranda Martin 2, Carly Scott 1, McKenzie Mandyck 1, Ava Lobozzo 1, Kira Ostovar 1
• Blocks: Ava Lobozzo 2, Amelia McCulley 1

HOW IT HAPPENED

• William Smith came out hot in the opening quarter, shooting 47% from the floor and combining for 19 points as a team. The Herons held Bard to just 27% shooting from the floor and eight points in the opening quarter. McCulley caught the hot hand early in the conference matchup as William Smith shot out to an 11-point lead heading into quarter two.
• The Herons and the Raptors traded the momentum and the points in the second quarter as William Smith combined for 14 points, shooting 25% from the floor compared to the Raptors' 12 points and 33% shooting. Kottka's driving layup as time expired cut William Smith's lead to 13 heading into the half.
• Bard opened the second half on a 4-0 scoring run and grabbed the early momentum of the third quarter. The Raptors shot 40% from the floor and held the Herons to just 27% shooting, but William Smith stayed consistent from the free-throw line, scoring eight crucial points from the charity stripe to maintain its 16-point lead heading into the final frame.
• William Smith locked down defensively in the final 10 minutes, holding Bard to just eight points and 17% shooting from the floor. The Herons matched their defensive efforts with an efficient offense that combined for 14 points and 30% shooting from the floor. The Raptors went on a 5-0 scoring run to end the game, but it wasn't enough as the Herons closed out the conference battle on top, 65-43.

FOR THE RECORD

• With the win, William Smith concludes its season with a 4-21 record including a 2-16 record in conference play.
• Bard concludes its season with a 3-22 overall record with a 1-17 mark in the Liberty League.

COACHES CORNER:
 
"What a sendoff for Carly Scott, Ella Pysnack and McKenzie Mandyck!" said Head Coach Seraphine Hamilton. "It was nice to end their careers with a win that showed off all the hard work and heart they've poured into our program."