The William Smith College basketball team defeated Bard College 81-43 this afternoon in a Liberty League matchup in Bristol Gymnasium. The Herons move to 2-11 overall and 2-4 in conference play, while the Raptors fall to 4-9 overall with a 0-7 mark in the Liberty League.
Senior Brooke Jarvis led the Herons with 15 points, shooting 60% from the floor. She added seven rebounds, three steals, and three assists in the win. First-year’s Ava Lobozzo, Giana Lobozzo and Amelia McCulley added nine points each and combined for six rebounds. The nine points were both the Lobozzo sisters’ career-highs.
William Smith produced its most efficient game of the season, leading in several categories against the Raptors. The Herons found 51 points from their bench compared to Bard’s 13 and made their presence known in the paint, outrebounding the Raptors 45-41. William Smith added eight blocked shots in the contest compared to Bard’s one and were led by junior Maddie Patrick with a season-high five blocked shots.
TEAM TOTALS
- Rebounds: William Smith 45, Bard 41
- Assists: William Smith 25, Bard 13
- Turnovers: Bard 24, William Smith 11
- Steals: William Smith 16, Bard 5
- Blocked Shots: William Smith 8, Bard 1
HERON STAT LEADERS
- Scoring: Brooke Jarvis 15, Ava Lobozzo 9, Giana Lobozzo 9, Amelia McCulley 9
- Rebounding: Brooke Jarvis 7, Maddie Patrick 4, Dani Krenzer 4
- Assists: Molly Walsh 4, Mckenzie Mandyck 4, Maddie Patrick 3, Brooke Jarvis 3, Miranda Martin 3
FIRST HALF
- William Smith opened the contest on a 7-2 run thanks to four points from Jarvis and a deep jumper from sophomore Carly Scott.
- First-year’s Miranda Martin and McCulley provided all the offense the Herons would need, combining for 11 points to extend William Smith’s lead to 12.
- After two successful free throws by Bard, graduate student Kerstin Kelly sunk a deep three pointer to grab the momentum back. The Herons locked down defensively for the remainder of the quarter to finish the first on top 25-8.
- William Smith maintained the momentum in the second, applying a full court press that the Raptors couldn’t work through causing several turnovers. The Herons forced five steals throughout the second with each one coming from a different player.
- Kelly led William Smith with five points in the second as the Herons extended their lead to 24 with her eighth point of the game.
- Sophomore Leia Brunt converted two free throws to close out the scoring for a 40-18 lead at the half.
SECOND HALF
- William Smith continued its momentum into the second half, opening on a 5-0 run thanks to a fast break layup from Lobozzo and a jumper by Patrick.
- The Herons spread the ball well in the third, with seven different players scoring points to extend their lead.
- Bard found sharp shooting in Jessica Martin and Shirley Dong who hit back-to-back threes for the Raptors in hopes of a late offensive spark.
- William Smith stood tall defensively, grabbing important rebounds to keep the ball in their hands. The Herons kept a 25-point lead heading into the final quarter.
- William Smith opened the final quarter on a 9-0 run behind a strong defensive performance and sharp shooting by the entire team.
- The Herons found rhythm from behind the arc down the stretch, as Giana Lobozzo sunk three deep three pointers while first-year Dani Krenzer added one as well.
- William Smith used the clock to their advantage and continued to execute both offensively and defensively to close out its best performance of the season on top 81-43.
COACHES CORNER
“I loved our team’s energy from beginning to end,” said Head Coach Lindsay Sharman. “You could see it translate in our production on the court. I thought we did a great job pushing the ball in transition and moving the ball in the half court, demonstrated by our 25 assists and only 11 turnovers. I loved our balanced scoring we had tonight, it was a great team win!”
UP NEXT
William Smith will be back in action tomorrow, Jan. 13, when it welcomes Skidmore to Geneva. Tipoff between the Herons and the Thoroughbreds is set for 2 p.m. in Bristol Gymnasium.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].