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Leveille leads Herons to 72-49 win over Hamilton
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Stephanie Leveille acknowledges the standing ovation she received
from the Bristol Gym crowd following her final home game. |
February 17, 2004
GENEVA, N.Y.—William Smith College senior Stephanie Leveille (Ossining/Ossining,
N.Y.) scored a career-high 17 points in her final game in Bristol Gym
to lead the Herons to a 72-49 win over Hamilton College in Upstate Collegiate
Basketball action this evening. The victory guarantees William Smith a
spot in the UCAA Tournament.
The Continentals got the first basket of the game on a free throw, but would never lead again as the Herons rattled off a 13-3 run over the next five minutes for a 13-4 lead. Hamilton scored the next five points to cut the lead to four, but Leveille and sophomore Pria Young (Council Rock/Richboro, Pa.) had an answer all night long. The duo scored eight of the Herons next 11 points to put the squad back up by 15 with 7:17 left on the clock.
Trying to get back into the game, the Continentals pulled to within seven with four minutes left in the half. However, Hamilton could not stop Leveille’s drives to the basket as she scored six of William Smith’s final 10 points if the half for a 34-21 Heron lead.
Leveille turned in a stellar all-around performance, going 4-of-9 from the field and 9-of-11 from the charity stripe, collecting six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Young also had a stellar shooting performance, making 8-of-11 from the field, including a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point land for a game-high 20 points.
Leading by nine four minutes into the second stanza, the Herons turned up both their offense and defense, scoring 16 of the game’s next 23 points for a 55-37 lead midway through the half.
Defensively, William Smith forced 21 turnovers and held the Continentals to just 24.6 percent shooting for the game, including just 19.4 percent in the first session.
Rookie Ashley Rodger (Waterloo/Waterloo, N.Y.) led the Herons on the boards with a game-high 11 caroms.
On the other side of the ball the Herons connected on 42.9 percent of their shots for the night, including 44 percent from behind the three-point arc.
Sophomore guard Kim Beevers (South Jefferson/Adams, N.Y.) led Hamilton with 11 points, while senior Holly Erick (Brocton Central/Portland, N.Y.) and first-year Jill Regan (Westwood/Westwood, Mass.) both dropped in eight.
William Smith is back in action on Feb. 20, at Clarkson. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.