The University of Rochester women’s basketball team jumped out to a big lead in the first quarter and never looked back as it defeated William Smith 86-56 in a nonconference game this evening in Bristol Gymnasium. The Herons fall to 0-4 with the loss, while the Yellowjackets move to 4-3 with the win.
Sophomores Ava Lobozzo and Amelia McCulley led William Smith with 12 points and four rebounds each. The duo combined for three assists and two steals. McCulley tallied a season-high four blocks in the loss. First-year Jojo Sulmasy chipped in eight points, four rebounds and three assists for the Herons. William Smith combined for an 88.9% free throw percentage as the Herons went 8-for-9 from the line.
Erin Lillis led the Yellowjackets with a game-high 21 points and two rebounds. Abby Gress recorded a triple-double as she tallied 15 points and 12 rebounds for Rochester and dished out a game-high 11 assists. Tia Poulakidas added 13 points and eight rebounds in the win for the Yellowjackets.
TEAM TOTALS
- Rebounds: Rochester 45, William Smith 32
- Assists: Rochester 25, William Smith 15
- Turnovers: William Smith 18, Rochester 10
- Steals: Rochester 11, William Smith 3
- Blocked Shots: William Smith 4, Rochester 2
HERON STAT LEADERS
- Scoring: Ava Lobozzo 12, Amelia McCulley 12, Jojo Sulmasy 8, Grace O’Connor 6, Miranda Martin 6
- Rebounding: Molly Walsh 8, Ava Lobozzo 4, Jojo Sulmasy 4, Amelia McCulley 4
- Assists: Molly Walsh 3, Jojo Sulmasy 3, Amelia McCulley 2, Anne Keneally 2, McKenzie Mandyck 2
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Yellowjackets came out firing in the opening quarter, shooting 52.4% from the floor including 7-for-11 from behind the arc.
- Gress led Rochester with 11 points in the first quarter to help the Yellowjackets to an early 31-8 lead heading into the second.
- The Herons responded well in the second quarter and shot 58.8% from the floor to combine for 24 points as a team.
- Sophomore Miranda Martin hit back-to-back threes to help William Smith grab back the momentum in the second quarter. The Herons’ defense also stood tall in the second quarter, holding Rochester to 21 points, and was led by two blocks by McCulley.
- Rochester controlled the play to start the second half and extended its lead to 26 before an 8-0 run by William Smith brought them back within 18. Giana Lobozzo and Ava Lobozzo combined for six of the Herons’ eight points within the run.
- The Yellowjackets closed out the third quarter with a 4-0 scoring run to bring their lead back to 21 points heading into the final 10 minutes of the game.
- Rochester maintained the momentum of the game through the final 10 minutes as it shot 50% from the floor for 21 points in the final quarter. The Yellowjackets kept the Herons to just 12 points in the fourth to close out the nonconference matchup with an 86-56 win on the road.
UP NEXT
William Smith will be back in action on Friday, Dec. 6, when it opens up Liberty League play at home against Union. Tipoff between the Herons and the Garnet Chargers is set for 5:30 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].