Stephanie Czajkowski

Marisa Vespa

December 2, 2006

ITHACA, N.Y.—Juniors Stephanie Czajkowski (Bishop Ludden/Syracuse, N.Y.) and Marisa Vespa (Immaculate Heart/Watertown, N.Y.) both posted double-doubles to lead the William Smith basketball team over Ithaca College 76-61 in Light Gymnasium this afternoon.

Czajkowski paced the winners with 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Vespa logged a spectacular all-around effort with 14 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, and five steals. Sophomore Paige Myers (Massena/Massena, N.Y.) and senior Paula Foote (Sidney/Sidney, N.Y.) also reached double digits with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Myers was 4 of 5 from beyond the three-point arc.

Ithaca's Katherine Bixby led all scorers with 21 points, while Sue Kelly contributed 15 points and 12 rebounds.

The Herons, who struggled to find their shooting touch in their first two outings, connected on 50 percent from the floor against the Bombers, including 18 of 29 in the first half. Ithaca (1-4) sank just 27.3 percent of its shots in the contest.

William Smith (2-2) never trailed in the contest and pulled away very early. Leading 8-5, the Herons went on a 15-0 run jump-started by back-to-back baskets by Vespa, who earned assists on three scores during the surge.

William Smith led by as many as 22 in the first half and carried a 48-32 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Herons never let their advantage slip below 15 points in the second half, cruising to their second straight win.

William Smith is back in action on Dec. 5, when the Herons travel to seventh-ranked Rochester. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

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