 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Herons in tight race for 1st, to host Knights, Saints
February 10 , 2005
 |
GENEVA, N.Y.—With just five games remaining in the regular season, the William Smith College basketball team is in the thick of the race for first place in the Liberty League and the right to host the conference tournament. The Herons will host Clarkson University at 6 p.m., on Feb. 11, followed by a 2 p.m., matinee with St. Lawrence University on Feb. 12.
Both games will be carried live on WEOS-FM (89.7/90.3), while live online coverage, including WEOS streaming audio and real-time statistics are available exclusively at: web.hws.edu/herons/basketball/schedule.asp.
William Smith (12-6, 7-2 Liberty) trails Union College (8-2) and the Saints (8-2) by just a single game. The Herons already hold the tie-break over the Dutchwomen thanks to a regular season sweep, while topping both Clarkson (68-45) and St. Lawrence (56-54) in the North Country earlier this season.
First-year guard Marisa Vespa (Immaculate Heart/Watertown, N.Y.) leads the Herons in scoring (11.6 ppg), and assists (5.17 apg). She began the week ranked 20th in Division III in assists per game. Classmate Stephanie Czajkowski (Bishop Ludden/Syracuse, N.Y.) is second on the team in scoring (10.2) and paces the Herons in rebounding (5.8 rpg).
The Golden Knights enter Bristol Gym with a record of 4-17 overall and 1-9 in conference. Clarkson is led by senior guard Linda Fernandez (10.4 ppg).
The Saints (12-7) begin the weekend at Hamilton. Since falling to William Smith on in Canton on Jan. 14, St. Lawrence has gone 9-1. The Saints feature a balanced offense in which no player is averaging double digits, led by senior forward Meredith Pridgen (9.2 ppg) and a relentless defense that has held opponents to just 52.4 ppg.