Alex Moon in action against William Smith on Wednesday night.
Box Score 
Game Program

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (February 20, 2013) – Tied 42-42 with 12:09 remaining in the game, the William Smith women's basketball team went on a 17-6 in a 5:51 span and held off any comeback attempts by Vassar College, to earn a hard-fought 69-58 victory in the semifinals of the Liberty League Championships at the Athletics & Fitness Center on Wednesday night.

Seeded No 4 in the championships, William Smith's victory ends the run of the top seeded Brewers (21-5), who have won the last two Liberty League Championships. The Herons (17-9) advance to Saturday's title game against the winner of No. 2 St. Lawrence vs. No. 3 Skidmore.

It was the 5:51 snippet of action that changed the course of the game. A single free throw by Vassar junior guard Cydni Matsuoka tied the contest at 42-42, but the Herons scored six straight points, four coming from junior guard Molly Breen for a 48-42 lead with 11:14 to play. The Brewers were able to draw within 50-45 on a free throw by freshman guard Caitlin Drakeley with 8:29 remaining.

Led by the play of senior guard Sydni Salvatore, the Herons went on a 9-2 spurt for a 59-47 lead.  The Brewers tried valiantly to nibble away at the William Smith lead, but were unable to make any substantial dent and were forced to put the Herons on the line. Eight of William Smith's final ten points came off free throws.

In the first half, William Smith came out with a purpose and held two nine point leads, but behind the play of sophomore forward Colleen O'Connell, the Brewers took a 19-10 deficit at the 13:19 juncture and went on a 15-3 run in a 7:09 span to take a 25-21 lead. O'Connell had eight straight points in that span, and 12 points in the first half. The teams jockeyed for position, and William Smith went into halftime with a 30-28 lead, done largely without the help of leading scorer Chloe Hayter, who sat out the final 11:13 of the half with foul trouble.

An O'Connell basket to open the second half tied the contest at 30-30. Hayter proceeded to score William Smith's first nine points that gave the Herons a 35-30 lead. Matsuoka was keen to the task, though, and matched Hayter, scoring five points herself to keep the contest tight.

Vassar's last lead came at the 12:42 mark when a driving layup by freshman guard Alex Moon put the Brewers ahead 42-41.
O'Connell lead Vassar with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Matsuoka added 16 points and Moon dropped in 10 points.
Salvatore had 19 points for William Smith, going 9 of 11 from the free throw line. Hayter had 10 points.