February 13, 2007

CLINTON, N.Y.—The William Smith basketball team trailed Hamilton by as many as 19 points in the second half, but staged a furious comeback capped by senior Paula Foote’s (Sidney/Sidney, N.Y.) game-winner with six seconds remaining to earn a 68-66 Liberty League victory in Scott Field House.

First-year forward Erin Cunningham (Morris Knolls/Rockaway, N.J.) led the Herons with a season-high 24 points, including 22 in the second half, and a team-high seven rebounds. Sophomore guard Latasha Coney (Lyons/Lyons, N.Y.) contributed 15 points off the bench, while Foote finished with 12 points. Junior guard Marisa Vespa narrowly missed a double-double, notching 10 assists and nine points, as well as six steals.

Pumla Sathula posted game-highs with 32 points and 14 rebounds, while Sydney Fasulo scored 21 points. No other Continental scored more than four points.

Hamilton (15-7, 7-5) raced out to a 35-24 halftime lead, shooting 53.6 percent from the floor. Fasulo led all scorers at the break with 17 points.

The Continentals extended their lead to 19 points on a pair of free throws at the 14:35 mark of the second half. Hamilton finished the night 18 of 19 from the line.

Cunningham, who was 9 of 15 from the floor and 6 for 6 from the line, scored the game’s next seven points, keying a 12-0 run that cut the deficit to seven. On the other side of the ledger, the Continentals struggled from the floor, going more than seven minutes between baskets.

A Sathula layup with 7:53 remaining put Hamilton in front by 11, but William Smith (12-10, 6-6) responded with an 11-2 run that made it a two points game with 3:15 to go. Sathula hit two more free throws to boost the Continentals’ lead to four, but the Herons scored six straight to claim their first lead of the night, 66-64 with 41 seconds remaining.

Sathula, who was 9 of 9 from the charity stripe, sank two more freebies to forge the final tie of the night. Following a William Smith timeout with 24 seconds remaining, Foote hit her game-winning layup on a baseline drive from the left side of the basket.

In an attempt to beat the buzzer, Hamilton launched a desperation shot from near midcourt that fell well short.

William Smith is back in action on Feb. 16, when the Herons host Vassar. Tipoff in Bristol Gym is scheduled for 6 p.m. Fans unable to make it to the game, can follow all of the action online by clicking on the live coverage link on the William Smith schedule page.

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