January 6, 20065

Foote led William Smith with 13 points as the Herons defeated Whittier 54-47 this evening. (photo by Kevin Colton)

WHITTIER, CALIF.—William Smith junior guard Paula Foote (Sidney/Sidney, N.Y.) scored a game-high 13 points as the Herons edged Whittier College 54-47 in the finale of the 23rd annual Purple and Gold Poet Classic this evening.

William Smith (5-3) led by as many as 10 points in the first half, before taking a 24-19 advantage into the intermission. Sophomore forward Stephanie Czajkowski (Bishop Ludden/Syracuse, N.Y.) paced the Herons with nine points and eight rebounds in the first stanza.

Whittier (3-7) opened the second half with a 5-0 run to tie the contest at 24. The Poets would not get any closer as William Smith countered with a 5-0 surge of its own.

Sophomore Amanda Nann (Saratoga Catholic/Schuylerville, N.Y.) and Foote sparked a 9-0 run with four points each to give William Smith its largest lead of the contest, 48-36, with 3:37 remaining.

Junior guard Emily Alcott (Waterville/Waterville, N.Y.) and Czajkowski also reached double digits for the Herons. Alcott, who was 4-9 from the field, chipped in with 12 points and three steals, while Czajkowski added 11 points and a team-high nine rebounds.

William Smith returns to action on Jan. 8, when the Herons travel to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. PST.

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