SAINTS SPLIT IN GRAND CANYON SPORTS CLASSIC

Dec. 31: St. Lawrence University’s women’s basketball team gained a split of two games in the Grand Canyon Sports Classic at Grand Canyon College, dropping their opener to Kenyon College 56-42, but bouncing back with a 66-58 win over Johns Hopkins.

Hopkins went into the game with the Saints ranked 17th in the nation by the WBCA and 18th by Division III Hoops.com.

The Saints, now 3-5, trailed 29-13 at the half in the game against 8-1 Kenyon, hitting just 30 percent from the field for the game. While the Saints outscored Kenyon 29-27 in the second half, they couldn’t overcome the big early deficit.

Meredith Pridgen was the only Saint in double figures with 13 points and added 13 rebounds, a black and two steals. Jessica Zuk tossed in nine points and Nora Curley scored eight, had three assists, a blocked shot and four steals.

Alisha Moreno led Kenyon with 13 points while Allison Lebar had 11 points and nine rebounds.

The Saints found the range early against Johns Hopkins, hitting 48 percent from the field overall and 57 percent from the three point arc on Thursday and raced to a 36-29 lead at the half, spurred on by an 8-0 run to start the game. Hopkins did get within one point twice in the first half, but Brittany Gaetano canned a three pointer with 6:38 to go in the half and the Saints went up by as much as 12 before Hopkins cut it to seven at the half.

The closest the Bluejays could get in the second dhalf was five points and the Saints held at 10 point lead with 47 seconds to go on Pridgen’s layup as the Saints handed Hopkins just its second loss of the season in ten games

Gaetano led the Saints with 17 points, hitting five for nine from the field including three for four on three pointers. She also had three assists and a steal. Andrea Muszynski had 11 points and six rebounds, Zuk had 11 points and four assists and Pridgen had six points and six rebounds to help the Saints to the win.

The Saints are now off until January 14-15 when they open Liberty League competition with William Smith and Hamilton at home.