November 30, 2001

GENEVA, N.Y.--The William Smith College basketball team defeated visiting Brockport State University 83-71 this evening in Bristol Gym. Junior forward Laura Hadwin (Vestal/Vestal, N.Y.) led six Herons in double digits with a 21-point, 11-rebound performance.

The Eagles (2-2) shot 53 percent from the floor, including 60 percent from beyond the arc, but it wasn't enough to overcome William Smith's swarming defense. The Herons (4-0) forced Brockport into 28 turnovers.

With the Eagles leading 4-2 in the opening minutes of the game, William Smith erased the deficit with a 9-0 run. Senior guard Jeanne Vinchiarello (Our Lady of Lourdes/Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) keyed the spurt, knocking down a pair of three-pointers. She finished with 13 points, four assists, and four steals.

Brockport managed to tie the game at 24 with 7:12 remaining in the opening half, but a Heather Easter (North Carroll/Hampstead, Md.) layup put the Herons back on top for good. The sophomore forward added 11 points and five assists to the William Smith offense.

The Herons bought themselves some breathing room with a 7-0 run to close out the first half with a 40-32 lead.

After the break, the Eagles kept their deficit in single digits, trailing by just seven at the 12:46 mark. That's when Hadwin took over. She scored the first seven points of a 10-0 run that saw William Smith's lead balloon to 17 points.

Brockport clawed its way back into the game, closing to within eight at the 1:37 mark on a bucket by sophomore guard Jessica Welch (Palmyra-Macedon/Palmyra, N.Y.). She finished with 10 points.

The Herons pulled away on the strength of clutch free throw shooting. William Smith sank 19-of-27 from the charity stripe, including 10-of-14 in the final two minutes.

First-year Heron guard Maria Atti (Kenmore East/Buffalo, N.Y.) narrowly missed a triple-double, scoring 12 points, corralling 10 boards, and dishing out nine assists, while also sporting a game-high five steals.

Junior guard Colleen Tabor (Shenendehowa/Ballston Lake, N.Y.) paced four eagles in double digits with 16 points.

William Smith is next in action on Dec. 1, at 2 p.m., hosting Mt. St. Mary (N.Y.) College.

Back to William Smith Basketball