February 14, 2006

Seraphine Hamilton

Tanya Richvalsky

Pria Young

GENEVA, N.Y.—The William Smith basketball team won its eight straight game, defeating visiting Hamilton College 73-50 in Liberty League action tonight. On Senior Night, all three Heron seniors reached double digits led by guard Pria Young’s (Council Rock/Richboro, Pa.) game-high 18 points, five steals, four rebounds, and four assists.

The Continentals (8-14, 5-7) earned the first two points of the game at the free throw line, but William Smith (18-4, 11-1) countered with an 11-0 run to seize control. Fittingly senior Tanya Richvalsky (Mohawk/Mohawk, N.Y.) and Young keyed the surge with four points each. Richvalsky finished with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting and a pair of free throws.

Later in the first half, the Herons blew the contest wide-open with a 15-0 run. This time senior Seraphine Hamilton (The Peddie School/Trenton, N.J.) and junior Paula Foote (Sidney/Sidney, N.Y.) did the damage, contributing six points apiece. Hamilton finished the night with a double-double on 14 points and 11 rebounds. Foote recorded 13 points and a game-high five assists.

William Smith led by as many as 25 in the opening stanza and took a 22-point advantage, 42-20, into the locker room at the half.

The second half proved to be much the same as the first. Richvalsky’s layup at the 9:52 mark gave the Herons their largest lead of the night, 61-31. A five minute cold spell by the home team allowed the Continentals to trim their deficit—closing to 64-48 with 4:29 to go—but Hamilton would get no closer.

First-year guard Laura Wetmore (Horseheads/Horseheads, N.Y.) led the Continentals in the scoring column with 12 points, while classmate Sydney Fasulo (Lancaster Country Day School/Lancaster, Pa.) added 11 points.

The loss, coupled with Rensselaer’s 69-53 win over Vassar tonight, eliminated Hamilton from the Liberty League Tournament equation. The Continentals are at St. Lawrence on Feb. 17 at 6 p.m.

With the win, William Smith is one victory away (with two games remaining) from clinching the top seed in the Liberty League Tournament. The Herons are back in action at 6 p.m. on Feb. 17, when they travel to Clarkson.

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