Saints Nip Golden Eagles, 51-50 at RIT Tournament
by:
Whit Haynes '10Senior Brittany Parham led the Saints with 12 points Saturday.
Nov. 21: The St. Lawrence University women's basketball team climbed back from a ten point deficit to nip Brockport 51-50 for the second time this season in the opening game of the RIT Tournament Saturday afternoon at Clark Gymnasium.
The Saints climb to a 2-0 mark, as Brockport falls to an overall record of 0-2.
Senior Brittany Parham earned a team high 12 points, while sophomore Casey Capello trailed closely with 11. Both Parham and Capello picked up two steals each, as junior Abby Stanton led the Scarlet and Brown with ten rebounds. Brockport's Whitney Smith racked up a game high 16 points with 6-of-11 shooting from the floor.
The Saints and the Golden Eagles battled point for point in the early minutes of the first half, but roughly mid way through the opening frame Brockport led by as much as six points. With 6:49 remaining in the first stanza, Stanton chipped one in off the glass to put the Saints up by one, increasing the score to 19-18.
Brockport earned a five point advantage as the clock hit the two minute warning. The Scarlet and Brown cut the deficit to three as sophomore Elisabeth Dwyer sunk back to back free throws, finalizing the score 29-26 as the teams entered the locker room.
"We didn't play great defense in the first half," St. Lawrence University head coach Dan Roiger said. "We tried to come out in the second half with more intensity and effort on the defensive end."
The Scarlet and Brown did just that in the closing frame. Five minutes into the half, the Saints led by two as first-year Carrie Calhoun nailed a shot from three-point range, making the score 34-32. Brockport responded as Smith chipped one in from underneath to fuel a 10-0 run.
Determined, the Saints clawed their way back, cutting the deficit to one at 44-43 with six minutes remaining in regulation. Although Brockport sustained their lead, the Scarlet and Brown held the Golden Eagles to six points.
Capello posted two points off a layup to fuel a 6-0 run for the Saints. With 3:07 left on the clock, Parham sunk consecutive free throws to tie the score, 49-49, and showed her skill again with 1:22 remaining as she posted another two points from the free throw line to give her team a one point lead. Brockort's Sarah Alwardt was able to add one more point for the Golden Eagles off a free throw, but the Saints walked away with the win, 51-50.
"We did a nice job at finding a way to win when we weren't playing our best," Head Coach Dan Roiger said.
In the second half, the Saints shot 100% from the free throw line.
St. Lawrence will play in the championship game tomorrow, Sunday November 22 against RIT. Tip-off is set for 2:00 pm.