Continentals Edge Saints, 62-50
by:
Whit Haynes '10Sophomore Katherine Edgerton led the Saints Saturday with 12 points against Hamilton.
Jan. 30: Although they put forth a strong effort, the St. Lawrence women's basketball team struggled from the floor in the second half of Saturday's game, allowing conference opponent Hamilton College to earn the, 62-50 victory.
The Continentals improve to an 11-6 (4-3) record, while the Saints fall to an 11-6 (3-4) mark.
Sophomore Katherine Edgerton led the Saints with a team-high 12 points, shooting 3-of-12 from the field, trailed by junior captain Abby Stanton who earned nine. Stanton and sophomore Nyasha Miller each totaled team-highs with five rebounds a piece, while junior Iris Santoni led St. Lawrence with a game-high four steals. The Saints also proved the depth of their team Saturday, scoring 14 bench points compared to the Continentals' six.
Hamilton's Eliza Howe picked up a game-high 19 points off 6-of-13 shooting, followed by teammate Madie Harlem who earned 11 points. Harlem also posted a game high eight rebounds, while Reisa Asimovic and Alex Sowinski each tallied a game-high four rebounds.
The Continentals jumped out to an early six point lead in the first half, but the Saints quickly tied the score at eight when Stanton chipped one in off the glass. However, Hamilton was able to maintain the lead, moving ahead by another six points as Sowinski sunk a three, followed by a solid layup from Howe. St. Lawrence managed to stay close behind, cutting the deficit to two as Edgerton hit one from underneath, paired with an easy free-throw. With 9:49 on the clock, Hamilton led by one point with a score of 22-21. Although the Continentals sustained the advantage for the rest of the frame, the Saints held them within five points. With 1:15 remaining in the half, Miller sunk a nice jump shot to cut the deficit to three. However, Harlem responded with consecutive free-throws to put Hamilton back ahead by five as time ran out, making the score, 34-29 at the end of the opening stanza.
The Continentals continued to rush the Saints backcourt, increasing their lead by eight points off a trio of layups from Howe, Harlem and Asimovic in the opening five minutes of the second half. However, St. Lawrence stayed within striking distance, working their way back to within five points of their opponent off a combination of a layup and free-throw shot by Stanton. With 11:21 left in regulation, Cate Shafer tipped one in from underneath to spark a 6-0 run for the Continentals. Hamilton earned its largest advantage of 13 points with 7:22 on the clock. However, the Saints started to grab momentum, working their way back to within eight points of the Continentals as Capello nailed a shot from beyond the arc, and senior captain Brittany Parham impressed from the charity stripe. Unfortunately, St. Lawrence had some tough breaks at the end of the second frame, well-executing their plays, but having a difficult time putting the ball in the basket. Hamilton's Howe was able to post two off consecutive free-throws to secure the, 62-50 victory for her team.
The Saints face off against North Country rival Clarkson University, Tuesday, February 2nd in the Burkman Gymnasium. Tip-off is set for 6:00 pm.