November 21, 2006

GENEVA, N.Y.—The William Smith College basketball team lost to visiting SUNY Cortland 78-66 in a non-conference contest in Bristol Gym tonight. The Red Dragons improve to 2-1 on the season, while the Herons slip to 0-2.

Cortland first-year forward Jessica Laing (South Kortright/Bloomville, N.Y.) posted game-highs with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Maggie Byrne and Brittany Martin each contributed 14 points to the winning effort, while Ali Canale added 13.

Junior guard Marisa Vespa (Immaculate Heart/Watertown, N.Y.) paced the Herons with 16 points and a game-high four steals, while senior guard Paula Foote (Sidney/Sidney, N.Y.) and junior guard Kristen Suatoni (Liverpool/Liverpool, N.Y.) chipped in 15 and 10 points, respectively.

The Red Dragons were lights out in the first half, shooting 58 percent from the floor, including 5-of-9 three-pointers. Cortland led by as many as 19 points in the first half, but William Smith managed to score the last six points of the stanza to whittle their deficit down to 41-28.

The Herons continued to charge back to start the second half. William Smith used a 14-3 run to forge a 48-all tie. Foote and Vespa both dropped in five points during the surge. The Red Dragons, who shot 48 percent for the game, lost their scoring touch, hitting just one of nine field goal attempts during the five minute draught.

Sophomore guard Latasha Coney (Lyons/Lyons, N.Y.) drained a three a short time later to give William Smith its only lead of the second half, 53-52.

Cortland responded with an 11-3 run to reclaim its control of the contest. Byrne sank two of her four three-pointers during that pivotal stretch.

The Herons are back in action on Nov. 29, when they host Nazareth at 6 p.m.

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