The William Smith College basketball team opened the 2022-23 season with a 66-57 loss at Fredonia Friday evening. The Herons fall to 0-1 on the season while the Blue Devils improve to 2-0.
Senior Lauren DeVaney led William Smith with 17 points, shooting 42.9% from the floor. DeVaney also recorded five rebounds, four assists, and two steals on the night.
TEAM TOTALS:
- Rebounds: William Smith 39, Fredonia 32
- Assists: Fredonia 17, William Smith 16
- Turnovers: William Smith 20, Fredonia 12
- Steals: Fredonia 8, William Smith 7
- Blocked Shots: Fredonia 7, William Smith 2
HERON STAT LEADERS:
- Scoring: Lauren DeVaney 17, Brooke Jarvis 16, Maddie Patrick 6
- Rebounding: Brooke Jarvis 7, Katie Smythe 6, Fiona Horan 5, Lauren DeVaney 5, Maddie Patrick 5
- Assists: Lauren DeVaney 4, Kerstin Kelly 3, Molly Walsh 3
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Blue Devils came out strong and took an early 12-4 lead over the Herons. William Smith proved to be a rebounding force in the first, with a 12-5 advantage over Fredonia, with Smythe recording three.
- The Blue Devils shot 56.3% from the floor in the first quarter to lead the Herons 20-14 going into the second quarter.
- The Herons would come firing back in the second, keeping the Blue Devils to only nine points in the quarter and closing Fredonia’s lead to just two going into the half.
- DeVaney and Jarvis would combine for 11 of the Herons’ 13 points in the third quarter to keep the Herons within three heading into the final 10 minutes.
- Fredonia’s Renee Park recorded 12 of her game-leading 23 points in the final 10 minutes to extend the Blue Devils’ lead to six.
- Just when the Blue Devils thought they had started to pull away, the Herons responded with big three-point plays to gain some momentum back. First-year Carly Scott and senior Kerstin Kelly both hit three-pointers to pull the Herons back into the game late in the fourth.
- Despite the Herons shooting their match-best 54.4% from the floor in the fourth quarter, the Blue Devils would use the clock to their advantage and close out the game to earn their second win of the season.
UP NEXT:
The Herons will be back in action on Saturday, November 19, when they head to Brockport to take on the Golden Eagles in a nonconference matchup. The game is set to begin at 2 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].