Feb 04, 2014
HENRIETTA, N.Y.—Junior forward Chloe Hayter posted a double-double and junior forward Molly Breen came within two assists for a triple double to lead the William Smith College basketball team to a wild 79-74 Liberty League victory at the Rochester Institute of Technology tonight.
Hayter scored a team-high 17 points and collected a game-high 11 rebounds while Breen scored 13 points, grabbed 10 boards and dished out a game-high eight assists. Senior guard Erin O'Brien made four 3-pointers on her way to a 16-point, five-assist night and senior guard Jacqueline Murphy added three treys and 11 points.
For RIT (9-9, 5-4), Jess Kramer scored a game-high 26 points, including a perfect night at the foul line (9-9), and handed out a team-high six assists. Ashlynn Palmitesso chipped in 17 points with Courtney Tennant contributing nine points and a team-high eight rebounds.
William Smith (15-5, 8-3) outshot RIT from the floor, making 45 percent of its shots to 44 for the Tigers, and 33 percent from behind the 3-point arc to just 17 percent for the home team. The Herons did themselves no favors at the free throw line, making just 50 percent (12-24), with RIT making 80 percent (12-of-15).
A back-and-forth game that featured 10 ties and nine lead changes, William Smith was up against the ropes with 7:25 remaining. Kramer's layup put RIT in front 55-44. Over the next six minutes, the Herons went on an 18-4 run to take a 62-59 lead with 95 seconds to go in regulation. O'Brien sank a pair of triples and Hayter also scored six points during the surge.
Kramer tied the game with a 3-pointer, but Murphy got free for a layup with 50 seconds to go for a two-point edge. William Smith went just 2-for-6 from the line in the final minute, leaving the door open for Kramer to tie the game with a pair of free throws with three seconds left. Murphy got off a 3-point try for the win at the buzzer, but it was no good.
The Herons scored the first eight points of overtime to take control of the contest. Murphy kicked it off with a 3-pointer, grabbed a defensive board that lead to a Hayter jumper and then buried another 3 following a Tiger turnover. In the waning seconds, William Smith again left the door open to a comeback try by going 3-for-7 at the line, but RIT never had a look at the basket with a chance to tie or take the lead in the final 95 seconds of overtime.
The Herons will return home for their final five home games of the regular season, beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7, when Bard visits Bristol Gym.