Women's Basketball Archives

FOUR SAINTS EARN ACADEMIC AWARD  

Mar. 1: Senior Katie Seward, junior Brittany Gaetano, and sophomores Jamie Wolff and Kim Sikule were named to the Liberty League All-Academic Team for their efforts in the classroom.

Seward is majoring in biology, and played in 23 games this season. Gaetano is a math major who shot over 41 percent from behind the arc, and better than 84 percent from the free-throw line. Wolff has yet to decide on a major at St. Lawrence, and averaged better than 12 points in league contests this season. Sikule is also undecided, and had team highs in rebounds-per-game at 5.8 and steals with 84.

SAINTS FALL TO WILLIAM SMITH IN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME  

Feb. 25: The St. Lawrence Women’s Basketball team lost Saturday afternoon to William Smith, 52-38, in the championship game of the Liberty League tournament hosted by the Herons. With the loss, the Saints moved to 19-8 for the year, and will have to wait to see if they will be awarded an NCAA regional bid. William Smith won the automatic bid for the NCAA tournament and is now 21-5 for the year.  

The first half was back-and-forth with the lead changing hands four times. The Saints opened with game with a jumper from Kim Sikule, and Jamie Wolff quickly followed with a three-pointer, but the Herons countered with points of their own. At the break, the score was 19-18 in favor of the home team.  

Sikule opened the second half with another jumper, but Stephanie Czajkowski countered with one of her own to take the lead back for William Smith. With 14:29 left to play, Pria Young hit a jumper for the Herons to capture the lead for the last time, as they would hold on for the remainder of the game and earn the win.  

The Saints tried to chip away at the lead, and pulled to within five points on a Brittany Gaetano three-pointer with 5:39 left to play, but the Herons were too strong and continued to improve on their lead, finally finishing 14 points up at 52-38.  

For the game, Sikule was the only Saint in double digits, finishing with 10 points and 5 assists. Andrea Muszynski scored 8 for St. Lawrence, and also added 5 boards.  

For William Smith, Seraphine Hamilton scored 10 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Tanya Richvalsky also scored 10 points, and added 6 boards and 3 steals.  

The Saints will await the decision by the NCAA regional committee to determine if they will receive a regional bid to the NCAA tournament. The committee will make their decision early Monday morning.

SAINTS ADVANCE TO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME WITH 52-47 WIN OVER UNION  

Feb. 24: Junior forward Andrea Muszynski scored 18 points and posted eight rebounds with four blocks to lead number two seed St. Lawrence to a 52-47 victory over number three seed Union in a semifinal game of the Liberty League Championship Tournament at William Smith's Bristol Gymnasium.  

The Saints improved to 19-7 on the season and will meet the winner of the other semifinal matchup, featuring top seed William Smith and number four seed Rensselaer. The championship game is Saturday at 3 p.m. Union fell to 17-8 and will await a possible ECAC playoff bid to be announced Monday.  

The matchup featured the top two ranked defensive teams in the league, and it produced a 23-17 St. Lawrence lead at halftime. Leading 31-29 with 12:04 left in the second half, the Saints went on an 11-2 run sparked by four points from Muszynski. Union trailed 45-35 with 7:52 left, but pulled to within three at 48-45 with 2:46 left in the second half.  

Muszynski made a layup with 1:56 remaining for a 50-45 lead, but Hammond pulled Union back to within three at 50-47 with 46 seconds left. With just 19 seconds remaining however, Muszynski iced the contest with two free throws to produce the 52-47 final.

SLEW OF SAINTS EARN LEAGUE RECOGNITION

Feb. 23: Liberty League awards were announced early February 23 rd and the regular season co-champion St. Lawrence Saints were well represented. Junior forward Andrea Muszynski and sophomore guard Jamie Wolff earned First Team All-Liberty League honors, while senior forward Nora Curley was named to the second team, and junior guard Brittany Gaetano was given honorable mention status based on voting by league coaches.

Muszynski averaged 10.5 ppg and 5.2 rebounds in her junior campaign. She is 51.3% from the field and 78.1% from the stripe, recording 42 assists on the year. Muszynski currently ranks third in blocks, fifth in both field goal percentage and free throws, eleventh in steals, and thirteenth in scoring in the league. She was a Liberty League Forward of the Week in November.

Wolff has started every game for the Saints this season, and averaged 12.1 ppg in league games. She is currently shooting over 40% from the field, 38% from behind the arc, and almost 85% from the line. Wolff ranks second in free throws, fifth in scoring and three-point percentage, twelfth in field goal percentage, and fifteenth in assists in the league.

Curley started every game for the Saints, and averaged 10.2 ppg and 5.3 rebounds. She is shooting 44.9% from the floor and 80% from the line to help lead the Saints into the postseason. In conference, Curley ranks third in free throws, seventh in field goal percentage, ninth in blocks, twelfth in rebounding, and fourteenth in scoring. She was named Liberty League Forward of the Week twice this season.

Gaetano also started every game for the Saints this season and averaged 8.6 ppg in league contests. She shot 37.2% from the floor and better than 42% from behind the arc for the year. The junior also shot 84.2% from the stripe for the year and recorded 54 assists. Gaetano ranks second in three-point field goal percentage, thirteenth in assists, and twenty-third in scoring in conference. She was a Liberty League Guard of the Week in January.

The Saints will look to earn the Liberty League’s automatic NCAA bid this weekend in the league tournament. Their first test will be Union on Friday night at 6:00pm. The winner will face the winner of the William Smith/RPI game in the championship match-up on Saturday at 3:00pm. Live online stats will be available for all tournament games on the William Smith website at http://www.hws.edu/herons/basketball/tournament.asp.

MUSZYNSKI EARNS FORWARD OF THE WEEK HONORS

Feb. 22: Junior forward Andrea Muszynski was named Liberty League Forward of the Week, and ECAC Player of the Week for her efforts last weekend against Hamilton and William Smith. The Saints earned two wins to secure a share of the Liberty League regular season title.

Muszynski scored 20 points to lead the Saints over Hamilton on Friday night. She also recorded 5 rebounds, 6 steals, and 3 assists. In Saturday's overtime win against William Smith, Muszynski recorded a double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. She also added 2 steals and 2 blocks.

The Saints will look to earn the Liberty League NCAA bid this weekend in the league tournament, and their first test will be Union on Friday night at 6:00pm. The winner will face the winner of the William Smith/RPI game on Saturday at 3:00pm. Live online stats will be available for all tournament games on the William Smith website at http://www.hws.edu/herons/basketball/tournament.asp.

SAINTS TO FACE UNION IN FIRST ROUND OF LIBERTY LEAGUE TOURNAMENT

Feb. 20: The Liberty League Co-Champion St. Lawrence Saints will face the Union Dutchwomen in the first round of the league tournament this Friday night at 6:00pm in Geneva, NY, hosted by William Smith. The Herons are league Co-Champions, and are hosting the tournament based on their record vs common non-league opponents (Ithaca and Rochester).

The Saints split with Union in their two meetings during the regular season, winning the first contest 61-47 and losing the second meeting in overtime 61-55. SLU currently has three athletes averaging double-digits in points, and they will count on their entire squad to get the job done this weekend. Senior Nora Curley is scoring 10.2 points per game, and is shooting close to 45% from the floor. Junior Andrea Muszynski averages just over 10 points as well, pulls in over five rebounds a game, and averages over 47% from the field. Finally, Jamie Wolff puts up over 11 points a game, has 50 assists on the year, and is shooting almost 38% from behind the arc.

William Smith will face RPI on Friday night at 8:00pm, and the two winners will play in the championship game on Saturday at 3:00pm to determine who will be awarded the NCAA automatic bid. Live online stats will be available for all tournament games on the William Smith website at http://www.hws.edu/herons/basketball/tournament.asp.

Dec. 9: The St. Lawrence University women’s basketball team staged a furious comeback in the final two minutes of regulation versus Ithaca on Friday evening, erasing an 11 point deficit. Unfortunately, the Saints effort came up just short as Nora Curley’s shot at the buzzer just missed and the Bombers of Ithaca snapped the Saints three game winning streak, 60-58.  

In a very tight game between two competitive squads, the Bombers and Saints battled back and forth, having a total of ten ties in the contest. Ithaca took an early seven point lead when Lauren Kusy scored two of her seven points at the six minute mark, giving the Bombers an early 11-4 lead. However, the Saints (3-3) ran off a quick 11-2 run of their own, capped by a pair of made free throws by Jamie Wolff to give St. Lawrence a 15-13 advantage with just under ten minutes to play in the first half.  

St. Lawrence and Ithaca would exchange scoring, and the game was tied for the fourth time of the evening, this time at 26-26, when Kimberly Sikule hit a three pointer with 1:06 to play in the first half. Neither team was able to convert in the final minute of the half, and the same score of 26-26 stood at the intermission.  

The same back and forth style of play continued early in the second half without either team able to gain a large advantage. Senior forward Nora Curley converted a pair of free throws with 13:40 remaining in regulation to first tie the game, and then give the Saints a 38-37 lead. After Ithaca regained the lead off a pair of free throws from Erika Steele, Christie Herbst made a key lay-up for the Saints with 8:33 to play to tie the game for the tenth time.  

The Saints, though, would go on an unfortunate drought late in the game. They were outscored 12-4 in a span of 4:49 , which opened up a seemingly comfortable 11 point advantage for the Bombers on their home floor with only 2:18 to play at 59-48. Jen Kroll’s team showed no quit though, and the Saints began to battle back.  

Kroll, making her first appearance at Ithaca since the 1999-2000 season when she led the Bombers to an Empire 8 championship, watched her team score ten straight points, and with 44 seconds to go, the Saints only trailed by one after Jamie Wolff made a clutch jump shot to make the score 59-58.  

After Erin Sanvidge made one free throw with only ten seconds remaining for Ithaca , the score was 60-58. The Saints had a chance to tie the game, getting the ball inside to Nora Curley. Curley’s last second effort was no good, though, and the Bombers were able to escape the Saints comeback bid by the final of 60-58.  

Four Saints scored in double digits in the game, as Curley, Wolff, and Sikule all managed to net 11 points while Christie Herbst came off the bench to add ten. Curley had a nice game on the boards, grabbing five rebounds while Sikule played well on the defensive end again for the Saints where she had six steals.  

St. Lawrence will try to rebound from the tough loss on Saturday afternoon when the Saints visit Alfred. Game time is set for 1:00pm .

Feb. 18: The St. Lawrence Women’s Basketball team bested William Smith at home in overtime, 60-57. With the win, the Saints move to 12-2 in league, and 18-7 overall. William Smith will enter the league tournament 19-5 overall, and 12-2 in conference.

The first half started with a lot of back and forth basketball, as the lead changed hands 4 times in the first five minutes of play. After William Smith took control thanks to a three-pointer from Pria Young, they would hold the lead throughout the first half, and finish with a 7 point advantage at 29-22. Stephanie Czajkowski scored 10 points in the first 20 minutes for the Herons and grabbed 5 rebounds. She would finish the day leading all scorers with 16 points, and recording 12 rebounds for a double-double.

The Herons controlled the tempo for most of the second half, until two back to back lay-ups from Nora Curley turned the tables in SLU’s favor with just over 7:30 left in regulation. Tanya Richvalski tied the game for the Herons with just over 2 minutes to play, but Andrea Muszynski scored 4 points to put the Saints on top with less than a minute to play. They held that lead until Marisa Vespa hit a running lay-up to tie it and force overtime with less than five seconds to play.

In overtime, Jamie Wolff hit four clutch free throws down the stretch to fight off a Paula Foote three pointer and seal the deal for SLU.

Muszynski scored 14 points for the Saints and added 12 rebounds. Wolff finished with 12 points, and Curley ended with 10 points. For the Herons, Foote was also in double digits with 14.

The conference tournament will be held at William Smith Feb. 24-25 in Geneva, NY. The Herons are hosting the tournament based on their record vs common non-league opponents (Ithaca and Rochester), and the times are still to be determined.

SAINTS ROLL AT HOME 68-49 OVER HAMILTON

Feb. 17: The St. Lawrence Women’s Basketball team beat Hamilton at home Friday night 68-49, to clinch second place in the Liberty League and move to 11-7 in the League, and 17-7 overall. With the loss, Hamilton falls to 5-8 in league, and 8-15 on the year.

In the first half of play, the game went back and forth until the Saints were able to pull away with just over six minutes to play. Sarah Schrader brought Hamilton within 3 with a lay-up, but Jamie Wolff scored 9 points in the last four minutes of the first half to boost the Saints into the locker room. At the break, the lead was SLU 33, Hamilton 23.

Hamilton kept it close and were in the game, only down by four, with just over nine minutes to play, but Kim Sikule hit a couple of three pointers in the next three minutes to help the Saints run away with the game.

At the end, Andrea Muszynski ended with a game high 20 points, and 6 steals. Wolff came in next with 18 points, shooting a perfect 9-9 from the stripe. She also added 3 assists and 3 steals. Sikule also finished in double digits with 13 points, shooting a perfect 3 of 3 from behind the arc, and a team high 6 rebounds.

For Hamilton, Laura Wetmore scored 10 points; and Madelyn McGuinnis also had 10 points and 6 rebounds.

The Saints will look to close out their regular season schedule tomorrow at 2:00pm against William Smith at home. Hamilton will travel to face Clarkson at 2:00pm.

PALMER SCORES 16 AS SAINTS ROLL OVER SKIDMORE

Feb. 11: St. Lawrence used an 18-0 second-half run on the way to a 69-43 Liberty League win over Skidmore College, Saturday afternoon at the Sports and Recreation Center. With the win, SLU moves to 10-2 in league and 16-7 overall. Skidmore is now 3-9 in conference, and 9-14 on the year.

Nora Curley had 9 first half points to help St. Lawrence earn the early lead, but Skidmore was able to chip away and come within 1 point at the nine minute mark. That’s when Curley and the Saints began to shut the door. Andrea Muszynski also chipped in 6 in the first 20 minutes of play. At the break, the Saints were up 32-22.

The Thoroughbreds were down by eight, 34-26 with 16:44 to play, when the Saints went on the run to take a 52-26 lead before Skidmore's Laura Michel hit a free throw with 9:29 to play.

Katie Palmer led St. Lawrence with 16 points off the bench. She hit 10 of 12 free throws. Nora Curley added 11 points for the Saints.

Michel finished with seven points. Shardae Gonsalves and Krystal Coke also scored seven each for Skidmore.

St. Lawrence will close out their regular season Feb. 17-18 as they take on Hamilton and William Smith at home.

SAINTS LOSE HEARTBREAKER TO UNION IN OVERTIME

Feb. 10: The St. Lawrence Women’s Basketball team fell Friday night on the road to conference foe Union, 61-55, in overtime to move to 9-2 in the Liberty League and 15-7 overall. With the win, Union moves to 8-3 in league, and 14-7 for the year.

The Saints began the game with the lead thanks to lay-ups from sophomores Kim Sikule and Jamie Wolff, and they held the lead until a jumper from Union’s Michelle Rogers tied the game for the Dutchwomen with 5:36 to play in the half. Erika Eisenhut followed with two made free throws to give Union the lead that they would hold going into the locker room. At the break, the score was 23-22 in favor of Union.

Wolff and Sikule quickly regained the lead for SLU thanks to two timely three-pointers just two minutes into the second half, but the Saints struggled from behind the arc for the first time in a long time, shooting only 3 of 14 from three-point land.

The game went back and forth for the remainder of the second period, and just when it looked like the Dutchwomen were pulling away with a 5 point lead and just over four minutes to play, Jess Smith and Andrea Muszynski were able to pull the Saints within reach with two clutch baskets. Rogers hit two shots for Union down the stretch, and with just 17 second left to play and down by 2, Nora Curley put in a lay-up to tie the game at 48-48.

Rogers stayed hot and accounted for 6 of Union’s 13 overtime points, while the Saints were only able to chip in 7 points in the extra period.

For the game, Rogers and Eisenhut led all scorers with 16 points. Eisenhut also added 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals.

For the Saints, Smith and Curley each scored 12, with Curley adding a game high 13 rebounds. Smith added 3 assists. Sikule ended with 10 points, 11 boards, and 3 steals.

The Saints will look to stay in the hunt for a league championship tomorrow afternoon when they travel to face Skidmore at 2:00 pm.

SAINTS OWN THREE-POINT LAND IN VICTORY

Feb. 7: Shooting an impressive 11-for-16 from beyond the 3-point line for the game, St. Lawrence was able to control the game against the Clarkson University Women’s Basketballteam in the first half and hold on for a 67-36 win over the Golden Knightson Tuesday night at Alumni Gymnasium.

The Golden Knights dropped their overall record to 5-16 on the season and fell to 1-9 in the Liberty League while the first place Saints improved to 15-6 and 9-1 in conference play. Clarkson returns to the road this weekend when they visit Skidmore and Union .

With full court pressure on the Clarkson guards, St. Lawrence was able to establish a double-digit advantage with several lay ups. The Saints jumped out to a 12-2 lead just 4 minutes, 17 seconds into the game. Within the next five minutes, Clarkson was able to climb back into the game with a 11-7 run to cut the lead to two possessions, 19-13. However, the Saints pushed the lead back to ten just a few moments later and finished the half on a 16-6 run for a 35-19 advantage at the end of 20 minutes.

Brittany Gaettano scored 13 points on nearly perfect shooting 5-for-6 from the floor and 3-for-3 from beyond the 3-point arc. Gaettano led the Saints’ 3-point effort as the team made five of its 10 long-range shots. Mickala Hensonled the Golden Knights off the bench with six points on 3-for-3 shooting. The Saints shot 48 percent from the floor while Clarkson made 33.3 percent of its field goal attempts.

The second half started much the same way as the first half ran with the Saints making their first five 3-point attempts to extend their lead into the mid-20s. The two teams went stagnant in the scoring department for a span of several minutes midway through the half, but the Saints went back to the inside game and pushed their lead up further, ending the game with a 31-point edge.

Gaettano and Jamie Wolff each finished with 16 points and combined to shot 11-for-18 from the field and 8-for-9 from beyond the 3-point arc. Mickala Henson finished with 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting for the Golden Knights. Erika Fritjofson added eight points in 40 minutes of play.

FOUR SAINTS IN DOUBLE-DIGITS IN WIN

Jan. 28: Jamie Wolff scored a game-high 19 points to lead visiting St. Lawrence University to a 70-57 Liberty League win against Hamilton College at Scott Field House on Jan. 28.

Wolff scored 16 points in the second half, when the Saints came back from a 26-20 halftime deficit by shooting 60.9 percent (14-23) from the field. St. Lawrence (6-1 league, 12-6 overall) made 5 of 6 shots from three-point range and went 17-for-23 at the free throw line in the final 20 minutes. The Saints scored 50 points in the second half to Hamilton's 31.

The Continentals were clinging to a 36-35 lead with 12:13 left in the second half, but St. Lawrence went on a 21-4 run during the next 7:15 to take the lead for good. The Saints enjoyed a 56-40 advantage with 4:58 remaining and led by double digits the rest of the way.

Nora Curley tossed in 15 points and grabbed six rebounds for St. Lawrence, which has won eight of its last nine games. Andrea Muszynski added 15 points. Kimberly Sikule chipped in 10 and a startling eight steals. The Saints ended up with 13 steals to help force 30 Continental turnovers.

Sydney Fasulo paced Hamilton's offense with a season-high 17 points. Fasulo went 7-for-9 from the floor and scored 11 of her points in the first half. Pumla Sathula '08 finished with seven points, a game-high eight rebounds and a game-high five assists. Jessie Pisegna '06 pulled down seven boards and made four steals. The Continentals (3-4, 6-10) enjoyed a 37-27 advantage in rebounds. Sixteen of Hamilton's rebounds came on the offensive end.

St. Lawrence is in a three-way tie for first place in the league standings while Hamilton is in fifth place. The Saints lead the all-time series, 24-12.

Next Friday (Feb. 3 rd), SLU will face off against RPI at home at 6:00pm.

SAINTS LOSE FIRST LEAGUE CONTEST TO WILLIAM SMITH, 62-54

Jan. 27: The St. Lawrence Women’s Basketball team lost its first game in league Friday night to William Smith, 62-54. In spite of Andrea Muszynski’s game high 22 points, the Saints could not pull out a win on the road to stay undefeated. They are now 11-6 overall, and 5-1 in the Liberty League. With the win, William Smith improves to 12-4 overall, 5-1 in conference.

The Herons led in the first half of play, but SLU kept with close, never falling behind by more than 8. With under five minutes to play in the first half, it appeared as though William Smith was going to head to the locker room with a substantial lead, but the Saints kept it close with clutch three-point shooting. The Herons went on a 6-0 run and were up by 7 when Brittany Gaetano hit a three to close the gap. William Smith’s Lauren Samuelson then made a lay-up to help the Heron cause, but Katie Palmer knocked down another three with just 5 seconds left on the clock to lead the Saints into the locker room only down by 5. The score at the break was William Smith 29, St. Lawrence 24.

The Saints continued to fight in the second half, tying the game with just under 12 minutes to play on a jumper from Kim Sikule. They then went ahead with a three-pointer from Jamie Wolff, but the Herons quickly responded with a three from Paula Foote.

The two teams continued to trade baskets, and the game was tied again with seven and a half minutes to play. SLU then took the lead with a Muszynski jumper, but a three pointer from William Smith’s Marisa Vespa with just over five minutes to play gave the lead back to the Herons and they would not surrender it again.

On the night, Muszynski recorded 22 points, a team high 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Jamie Wolff and Brittany Gaetano each scored 8 points and chipped in 3 assists.

William Smith had three scorers in double digits with Tanya Richvalsky leading the way with 13 points. Foote had 12 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals; and Vespa recorded 11 points and a startling 8 assists.

The Saints will look to get back on track tomorrow when they face off against Hamilton at 2:00pm in another away contest. The Continentals have an overall record of 6-9, and are 3-3 in league.

SAINTS ROLL TO SEVENTH STRAIGHT WIN

Jan. 24: The St. Lawrence Women’s Basketball team took control and never looked back Tuesday night at home against the visiting Clarkson Golden Knights, with a final score of 53-35. With the win, SLU moves to 11-5 on the year, and a perfect 5-0 in the Liberty League. Clarkson falls to 12-4 overall, 0-5 in league.

Kim Sikule started the scoring for the Saints with a three-pointer two and a half minutes in the game, and went on to score 9 points in the first half to help SLU charge to an early lead. Clarkson came back and went ahead just over 5 minutes into the game, but the Saints grabbed the lead back and would not surrender it for the remainder of the game.

With just under 10 minutes to play in the first half, Katie Palmer made a lay-up, then went on to sink two free throws to push the Saints out to a 9 point lead. Jess Smith added two more, and Sikule knocked in two free throws to put the first half out of reach for the Golden Knights. The score at the break was SLU 27, Clarkson 13.

The second half was more of the same at Burkman Gymnasium, as Clarkson came within 10 points with 16 minutes left to play, and would not get that close again. In spite of 14 points from Sarah Wesner and 10 from Erika Fritjofson, Clarkson could not gain enough momentum to overcome the offensive attack of the Saints.

The only Saint in double digits was Sikule, who ended the night with 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 steals. First year Jenna Krzemien also had 7 boards in the win.

The Saints will look to continue their streak this weekend as they travel to face William Smith on Friday at 6:00pm, and Hamilton on Saturday at 2:00pm.

CURLEY EARNS PLAYER OF WEEK HONOR

Jan. 24: Senior Forward Nora Curley earned Liberty League Forward of the Week honors for her efforts against Vassar and RPI last weekend. Curley scored 20 points and grabbed 8 boards to lead St. Lawrence over Vassar on Friday night. She then scored 11 points and recorded 9 rebounds on Saturday against Rensselaer to help the Saints win two more league games to remain undefeated. This is the second time this year she has earned this award.

SAINTS DOWN RPI 60-51 TO REMAIN UNDEFEATED IN LEAGUE

Jan. 21: Sophomore guard Jamie Wolff scored a game-high 20 points and junior forward Andrea Muszynski had 13 points and a game-high 13 rebounds to lead St. Lawrence University to a 60-51 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in a Liberty League women’s basketball game at Robison Gym.  The first place Saints improve to 10-5 overall and 4-0 in the league while the Red Hawks fall to 9-5 and 3-2.

St. Lawrence used hot shooting (53.6%) and a 12-2 run late in the first half to open a ten-point lead at halftime (36-26).  Rensselaer cut its deficit to as few as four points (55-51) but the Saints made 5 of its 6 free throws down the stretch to hold off the Red Hawks.

In addition to her 20 points, Wolff had five rebounds (2 offensive), two assists and only two turnovers in 39 minutes.  Muszynski, who had four offensive rebounds, also contributed an assist and two steals.  Senior forward Nora Curley had 11 points, nine rebounds (2 off.), three assists, a block and a steal while sophomore guard Kimberly Sikule had nine points, 11 rebounds (2 off.), three assists and three steals for the Saints, who have won six straight games.

For Rensselaer , freshman guard Whitney Coleman tallied a team-high 20 points and a team-best seven rebounds (4 offensive).  She also added two assists and one block in 29 minutes.  Freshman guard Caitlyn Charest added eight points and six rebounds with four assists and a steal in 34 minutes.

St. Lawrence is back in action on Tuesday when it hosts league and area-rival Clarkson at 6pm.

CURLEY POWERS SAINTS PAST VASSAR, 52-40

Jan. 20: The St. Lawrence Women’s Basketball team got a game-high 20 points from senior forward Nora Curley and held Vassar to 17 second half points to remain unbeaten in Liberty League play with a hard-fought 52-40 victory over the Brewers Friday night at the Athletic & Fitness Center. The victory improves St. Lawrence to 9-5, 3-0, while the Brewers fall to 5-9, 0-4.  

It took both teams 6:47 to score the game’s first points, and they came from a pair of free throws from Vassar. The Brewers and Saints traded baskets for most of the first 20 minutes, with Vassar able to build three four point leads at 12-8, 14-10 and 16-12 at 6:20 .  

St. Lawrence tied the game at 16-16 on a jumper by Brittany Gaetano with 4:52 to play and earned their first lead at 22-20 on a jumper by sophomore guard Kim Sikule with 1:47 to remaining. A three-pointer by Vassar’s Melissa Jones with under a minute to play put the Brewers ahead 23-22, but a three-point play by Sikule with 10 seconds to play ended the first half with St. Lawrence up, 25-23.  

St. Lawrence held a 25-23 lead at intermission and began the second half with a 9-2 run keyed by eight points from Curley for a 34-25 lead. With the Saints leading 38-29 midway through the second half, the Brewers furiously tried to chip away, but St. Lawrence was able to keep Vassar within six on three different occasions in the final eight minutes to extend its winning streak to four.  

Junior guard Brittany Gaetano had 9 points and tied Curley in rebounds with a team-leading 8. St. Lawrence shot 38 percent for the game, compared to Vassar’s 28 percent and held a 38-33 rebounding advantage.  

Liberty League play continues Saturday afternoon with St. Lawrence visiting RPI at 2:00 pm .

Jan. 17: Junior guard Brittany Gaetano earned Liberty League Guard of the Week honors for her efforts last week against Plattsburgh and league foes Skidmore and Union. She averaged 14 points and 4 rebounds a game to help the Saints win on the road in Plattsburgh, and in their first two league games.

Gaetano scored 26 points, 24 of them off of three-pointers to lead the Saints over Union on Saturday. She also grabbed 4 boards, and added 3 assists, a steal, and a block. Gaetano scored 9 points in the win over Skidmore and added 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal. Against Plattsburgh earlier in the week, she scored 9 points, contributed 4 rebounds, and had 4 steals. Overall, Gaetano shot 12 of 22 from behind the arc last week.

GAETANO’S 26 POINTS LEAD SAINTS PAST UNION

Jan. 14: The St. Lawrence Women’s Basketball team won their second straight league contest today against the visiting Union Dutchwomen, 61-47. Brittany Gaetano recorded a season high 26 points, 24 of which came from three point shots. With the win, SLU moves to 8-5 on the year, 2-0 in the Liberty League. Union falls to 8-5 overall, 2-1 in league.

Union’s Erika Eisenhut opened the game with a lay up, and SLU’s Kim Sikule quickly answered with one of her own to tie it up. Gaetano then hit a three to give the Saints the lead, and they would not give it back for the rest of the game. SLU was able to slow the pace of the game by running their plays all the way through to find the best shot, and they maintaining possession for much of the first twenty minutes.

At the end of the first half, the Saints led 22 to 16 and 12 of their points came off of three pointers by Gaetano and Jamie Wolff. It was a very physical game and there were 21 fouls recorded in the first 20 minutes of play; SLU committed 11, Union gave 10.

Union pulled to within 5 points with 11 minutes to go on a lay up by Union’s Devon Ciliberto, and they would make it close again when they came within 4 on a Krystal Hammond free throw with 8 minutes to play. After that, it was all SLU as they ran away with a double digit lead and held it throughout the game thanks to more precision from behind the arc from Gaetano and Wolff.

Wolff ended up with 10 points, 5 boards, and 4 assists on the day, and first year Katie Palmer added 6 rebounds to the Saint cause. On the day, SLU shot almost 48% from three point land, and 43% from the floor.

Union’s Erika Eisenhut led her team in scoring with 19, and she added 3 steals. Hammond had 10 points and a team high 6 rebounds.

The Saints will look to keep their streak alive next week next week on the road as they take on Vassar on Friday night at 6:00pm, and RPI on Saturday at 2:00pm.

SAINTS OPEN LIBERTY LEAGUE SEASON WITH 59-47 WIN

Jan. 13: The St. Lawrence Women’s Basketball team topped the visiting Skidmore Thoroughbreds tonight 59-47 to begin their Liberty League run with a win. With the win, the Saints advance to 7-5 on the year. Skidmore falls to 5-7 overall.

SLU opened the game with a lay up from Nora Curley and then streaked to a 12-3 lead before the Thoroughbreds could mount a comeback. By the end of the first half, Skidmore had closed the gap and the Saints were up 26-20. Brittany Gaetano contributed 8 points in the first 20 minutes, going 2 of 3 from three-point range. Andrea Muszynski had 5 boards and 4 blocks going into the second half of play.

St. Lawrence kept Skidmore at bay in the second half, never letting their lead fall to less than 7. With just over 10 minutes to play, the Saints gained some momentum when Curley made a lay up, then stopped the Thoroughbred run. Christie Herbst was then fouled and knocked down both free throws to expand the lead. Again, SLU was able to thwart Skidmore’s offensive attack, and Muszynski added a lay up to the Saint cause. A lay up from Katie Seward and a free throw from Gaetano capped off the Saint run and boosted their lead to 14.

By the end of the game, four Saints had landed in double digits in scoring. Jamie Wolff recorded 12 points and shot 4-7 from three point land. Curley also finished with 12 points, making 4 of 4 shots from the stripe. Muszynski finished the night with 10 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 3 steals; and Kim Sikule also had 10 points, and contributed 6 rebounds.

The Saints will look to stay undefeated in the Liberty League tomorrow against Union at home at 2:00pm.

SAINTS PULL AWAY FROM

CARDINALS, WIN 68-34

Jan. 10: The St. Lawrence University women’s basketball team finished their non-conference portion of the schedule with a road win Tuesday evening over the Cardinals of Plattsburgh State, 68-34. The win gives the Saints (6-5) some momentum headed into their Liberty League conference opener versus Skidmore on Friday.

St. Lawrence came out of the gate with confidence, opening up a quick ten point lead less than five minutes into the game after a Kim Sikule three pointer gave the visitors a 14-4 edge. Jamie Wolff followed Sikule’s lead, knocking down a three pointer of her own a few minutes later, pushing the lead to 13 with 9:02 to play in the first half.

Although Plattsburgh was able to hang around for most of the first half, they simply couldn’t buy a basket, and the Saint defense held the Cardinals scoreless for over 10 minutes. St. Lawrence stretched their lead to 32-8 before Felicia Edwards hit a jumper with 55 seconds to play in the opening half. The Saints carried that 32-10 lead to halftime.

The Saints continued to stay aggressive in the second half, opening the half on an 11-2 run, capped by a lay-up by Katie Seward with 14:49 to play in the game to give St. Lawrence a 43-12 lead. The Cardinals were able to bring the score back to 48-27 when Kim Garrison made a lay-up with just less than eight minutes to play in the game, but from there on out, it was all Saints. The visitors closed the game on a 20-7 run, helped by seven points in three minutes from guard Jamie Wolff.

Wolff led the Saints in scoring with 18 points. She also grabbed five rebounds and added three assists and three steals. Andrea Muszynski had 10 points on the interior for St. Lawrence and had a game high seven rebounds. Junior guard Brittany Gaetano also had a nice game, scoring nine points, and adding four boards, seven assists and four steals in 22 minutes. Yuri Inomata led Plattsburgh with 10 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals.

The Saints will now gear up to compete for the Liberty League championship as they open their conference schedule at home versus the Thoroughbreds from Skidmore on Friday, January 13 th at 6:00pm.

CURLEY SELECTED LIBERTY LEAGUE

CO-FORWARD OF THE WEEK

Jan. 9: Senior forward Nora Curley (Madrid, NY) was named Co-Forward of the Week by the Liberty League for her efforts against three very competitive teams.

Curley had two outstanding efforts at the Holiday Inn-Naismith Women's Basketball Classic hosted by Springfield College, earning her All-Tournament team recognition. She scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds in the Saints opener versus Trinity (TX), then went on to top those numbers versus the host team, totaling 16 points, six boards, and three steals.

The senior's hard work in the post for the Saints continued as they retunred home for a game versus Fredonia. Curley helped the Saints remain undefeated in the Burkman Gymnasium this season, scoring 18 points and grabbing six rebounds. She also had an assist, a steal, and a block in the 70-65 overtime victory over the Blue Devils.

SAINTS REMAIN UNDEFEATED AT

HOME,TOP FREDONIA IN OT

Jan. 5: The St. Lawrence University women’s basketball team regrouped after two tough losses at the Springfield Tournament, battling their way to a thrilling overtime victory versus SUNY Fredonia on Thursday evening, 70-65. Saints guard Jamie Wolff had 14 points in the win, including three made free throws with only eight seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.

The Saints and Blue Devils set a high tempo from the get-go, and there was little doubt the game was going to be a thriller. The Saints pulled out to an early 11-8 lead when first year Jenna Krzemien hit a jumper with just under fifteen minutes to play in the opening half. Fredonia and St. Lawrence exchanged baskets until the Blue Devils were able to tie the game with eight minutes to play in the first half at 17-17, and then took the lead thirty seconds later on a three pointer by Maria Scaffidi.

Fredonia would extend that first half lead to seven, but the Saints chipped away at it as the half wound down. After lay-ups from Nora Curley and Krzemien, the Blue Devil lead was at two, 26-24, with 2:19 to play in the first half. Curley would then knock down two free throws with 1:38 on the clock, closing the first half scoring and sending the teams to the locker room deadlocked at 26-26.

The second half offered much of the same energy and excitement that the first half provided, as both teams gave everything they had. The Saints grabbed a seven point lead behind junior Brittany Gaetano’s clutch shooting with 14:37 to play in regulation. St. Lawrence couldn’t keep that lead, though, and Fredonia knotted the score again when Lisa Gentile hit a three pointer with 10:27 to play in the game.

The teams exchanged leads throughout the next eight minutes, neither ever gaining an advantage over three points. Gaetano converted two free throws to tie the game at 56-56 with 1:20 on the clock. However, Fredonia’s Michelle Bull responded with two clutch free throws of her own, giving her team a two point cushion. Teammate Maria Scaffidi then stepped to the line after the Saints failed to make either of their free throw attempts. Scaffidi was able to make one of two shots, giving the Blue Devils a 59-56 lead with 23 seconds on the clock.

The Saints got the ball into perhaps their best shooters hands, as Jamie Wolff took a feed behind the three point line, where she was fouled by Scaffidi on her three point attempt. The sophomore guard stepped to the line and made all three of her free throws with only eight seconds on the clock, tying the game at 59-59 and sending the game to overtime.

St. Lawrence looked energized from the comeback, and took a two point lead in the extra frame. The game was then tied for the 12 th time when Danielle Bleecker converted a jump shot with 3:24 to play. After a Fredonia free throw make, Jamie Wolff took the ball strong to the basket and made a lay-up with 1:10 to go, giving the Saints a 65-64 lead. That lead was pushed to three when Jessica Smith stole the ball and got it to Krzemien who made perhaps her biggest bucket of the season, giving the Saints a four point lead at 68-64 with a mere 30 seconds to play. Although Fredonia would climb back to within three, two more clutch free throws off the hand of Jamie Wolff would ice the game and keep the Saints undefeated at home this season.

Wolff finished the game with 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals in 39 minutes of play. Nora Curley was also a key contributor for St. Lawrence, as she added 18 points and six rebounds. Fredonia was led by Cheryl Kindzia’s 19 points and 10 rebounds and Danielle Bleecker’s 16 points and four rebounds.

The Saints will be in action on Tuesday, January 10 th as they visit North Country rival Plattsburgh. Tip off is set for 6:00pm.

SPRINGFIELD TIPS SAINTS IN OVERTIME,

CURLEY EARNS ALL-TOURNEY TEAM

Jan. 2: Tara McCarthy snapped a 60-60 tie with a jump shot with 21 seconds to go in overtime and then rebounded a shot by Saint forward Nora Curley which rolled off the rim with six seconds to go to lift host Springfield College to a 62-60 women’s basketball victory over St. Lawrence in the consolation game of the Naismith-Holiday Inn Invitational at Springfield on Monday.

McCarthy, who led Springfield with 14 points and added three steals, tied the game at 51-51 with 39 seconds to go in regulation after Jamie Wolff had put the Saints ahead 51-49 with a free throw with 1:28 to play.

St. Lawrence, 4-5, jumped out to an early six point lead in the game which turned into a see-saw affair which was tied eight times over the course of the game. Springfield, now 6-4, had as much as a seven point lead in the first half, but the Saints went on a 13-0 run late in the first half and led 26-22 at the intermission.

Springfield opened up an eight point lead in the second half, but again the Saints battled back, tying the game at 45-45 on Britanny Gaetano’s three-pointer with 3:49 to go.

Curley was selected to the All-Tournament team after leading the Saints with 15 points, hitting eight of 14 from the field and had six rebounds and three steals. Gaetano, who was three for seven from three point range, finished with 13 points while Andrea Muszynski had 10 and seven rebounds for the Saints.

SLU will return to home action when it hosts Fredonia at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

TRINITY TOPS SAINTS IN NAISMITH CLASSIC

Jan.1: Trinity (Tx) won its eight straight with a 78-61 win over St. Lawrence in the opening round of the Naismith-Holiday Inn Classic at Springfield College on Sunday and will meet Bates, an 83-51 winner over host Springfield in Monday’s 5:30 p.m. championship game.

The Saints, now 4-4, will play Springfield, 5-4, in a 1 p.m. consolation game.

Jennifer Farrar scored 17 points and Beth Harmon added 14 to lead Trinity to the win. Trinity, now 8-1, build a 37-23 halftime margin and held off the Saints the rest of the way.

Andrea Muszynski led the Saints with 15 points and added five rebounds while Nora Curley had 14 points and five rebounds and Jamie Wolff contributed 12 points and four rebounds.

The Saints never led in the game, but were within four with 8:23 to go at 55-51 and trailed by five with 7:09 to go. Trinity went on a 12-2 run over the next 2:49 and the Saints could not get closer than 15 the rest of the way.

SAINTS DOWN SAXONS TO

REGAIN WINNING WAYS

Dec. 10: The St. Lawrence University women’s basketball team got back on track Saturday afternoon, defeating Alfred by the score of 61-49 one night after having their three game winning streak snapped. First year student Jenna Krzemien led the Saints with 13 points off the bench.

The Saints (4-3) knew they had to get the lead early playing on the road, and were able to do so with some key shooting early. Kimberly Sikule and Brittany Gaetano each knocked down an early three pointer, and teammate Andrea Muszynski made a pair of jumpers to give the Saints an early 12-3 lead five minutes into the game.

That same lead hovered for most of the first half, with the Saints lead never creeping lower than seven. However, Alfred refused to let the game slip out of reach, making baskets each time it appeared St. Lawrence may have grabbed some momentum. With the lead at 11 with :58 left in the first half, the Saxon’s Megan Coddington scored two of her nine points to pull Alfred within nine, 32-23, heading into the intermission.

The second half began much of the same way, as the Saints and Saxons exchanged buckets. With the lead at nine again after a Nora Curley lay-up with 16:06 to play in the game, the Saxons made their move. The home team held the Saints scoreless for just under eight minutes, closing the gap to within one at 40-39. Then, Alfred’s Megan Sampsell stole the ball from Andrea Muszynski and got the ball to Amy Plank who scored the basket to give the Saxons the lead at 41-40 for the first time since the game was 2-0.

Head coach Jennifer Kroll chose not to use a timeout, and instead opted to get the ball up the court and into Jamie Wolff’s hands. Wolff got free on the offensive end, and buried a key three point shot that completely switched the momentum back on to the St. Lawrence side. The bucket put the Saints back ahead by two, 43-41. The floodgates would open from there, as the Saints stepped up their defense. St. Lawrence went on a 14-0 run of their own, and Jenna Krzemien came off the bench in the fourth quarter and made her presence felt in the post. The first year rattled off 13 points to lead all Saint scorers in the game.

Krzemien played 24 minutes for the Saints on Saturday, scoring the 13 points and contributing five rebounds and a block. Sophomore Jamie Wolff shot well from the field again, going 3-6 for 11 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Senior forward Nora Curley added 10 points down low for the Saints, who are now finished for the calendar year. St. Lawrence will next be in action at the Springfield Tournament versus Trinity (TX) on New Year’s Day to kick off 2006. Tip-off is set for 3:00pm.

SIKULE NETS LIBERTY LEAGUE AWARD

Dec. 7: Saints guard Kimberly Sikule was awarded the Liberty League Co-Guard of the Week award for her outstanding efforts in the Saints game versus Hartwick College. She helped lead the Saints to a 71-60 win, their first victory on the road this season.

Sikule, a sophomore, scored 19 points, shooting 7-11 from the field. She also grabbed two rebounds and added an assist on the offensive end. However, the guard's efforts were rewarded on the defensive end as well where she totaled 6 steals in 34 minutes of play.

Although Sikule only played 18 minutes in the Saints impressive win over Potsdam, she managed to score four points, grab 5 rebounds, add 2 assists and one steal. Sikule and the Saints look to extend their current three game winning streak this weekend as they travel to Ithaca and Alfred.

SAINTS TOPPLE POTSDAM 71-28

Dec. 5: The St. Lawrence University women’s basketball team extended their winning streak to three games on Monday night, as the Saints toppled the SUNY Potsdam Bears 71-28.

The Saints (3-2) executed a great defensive scheme versus the Bears, pressuring the ball and causing turnovers. St. Lawrence had 12 steals from 11 different players, and accumulated four blocks as well. The tough defense allowed the Saints to run the floor, taking advantage with some easy fast break opportunities. St. Lawrence was able to hold Potsdam to 2-19 from the floor in the second half to run away with the victory.

The Saints were able to get up on the Bears early in the first half thanks to their long range shooting. The Saints went 7-9 in the first half from behind the arc, with guards Jamie Wolff and Brittany Gaetano combining for five of the three point baskets. Gaetano’s three-pointer just under four minutes into the game gave the Saints an early 10-2 lead.

The Bears were able to hang with the Saints early in the first half, keeping the lead around ten. The Saints hot hands kept the shots pouring in, though, as Kate Vlahakis hit a three, followed by a pair from Gaetano to extend the Saints lead to 30-9 with 4:44 to play in the first half. A pair of free throws from Potsdam’s Katie Buzzell cut the deficit to 17 with under a minute to play in the half, but Jamie Wolff canned a jumper from the free throw line with just under three seconds to send the Saints to the locker room with a 38-19 lead.

The second half was all St. Lawrence as their defense and hustle took over. The Saints pressure forced the Bears to commit 23 turnovers which led to offensive opportunities. The game was truly a team effort for the Saints, who had six players with 7 points or more.

Junior Brittany Gaetano led all scorers in the contest with 13 points. She also grabbed one rebound and had one assist. Wolff added 10 points for the Saints, shooting 4-7 from the floor, while Vlahakis, Christie Herbst, and Katie Seward all chipped in 8 points off the bench. First year student Jenna Krzemien also had an impressive outing, scoring 7 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and contributing one steal.

The Bears (1-6) were led by Kelsey Shoen, who went 3-7 from the field for 6 points. She also had five rebounds for Potsdam. Freshman Maureen Curley, the sister of Saints forward Nora Curley, had four points, four rebounds, and an assist versus her older sister’s team.

The Saints are back in action this weekend as they travel to Ithaca on Friday and Alfred on Saturday. Tip off times are set for 6:00pm and 1:00pm, respectively.

Nov. 19: The St. Lawrence University women’s basketball team, looking to avenge a loss to the Rochester Yellowjackets on Friday night, played in the consolation game of the Chuck Resler Invitational at the Palestra versus Bethany College. The Saints Brittany Gaetano hit a jumper with one second remaining in regulation to send the game to overtime. Unfortunately, the Bison from Bethany would give the Saints a taste of their own medicine, winning the game 72-71 on a last second lay-up.

The Saints held the lead throughout the first thirty five minutes of play, stretching their lead to a game high thirteen points with 1:23 to play in the first half when senior Nora Curley hit a jumper. The Saints brought a 41-32 lead into the half, but the Bison came out hot to start the second half of play.

With just under six minutes gone in the second half, Jenny Place took a pass from Ashley Zemba and converted the lay up to close the Saints lead to three. The Saints’ showed their toughness and resiliency, refusing the give up the lead with key shots by Kimberly Sikule and Curley. However, Bethany rallied, and eventually stole the lead from St. Lawrence for the first time with 4:34 minutes remaining in the game.

The Bison took their momentum and opened up a three point lead with only 1:24 to go at 62-59, but junior Brittany Gaetano knocked down a huge three pointed to tie the game at 62-62 with forty-two seconds left in regulation. Lisa Mitchell would give Bethany back the lead, making a lay-up with :35 on the clock to make it 64-62.

With ten ticks left in the game, Renee Shehady had two free throw chances to extend the Bison lead, but missed them both. The Saints came down the court, and got the ball into Gaetano’s hands and with only one second remaining, the junior guard knocked down the jumper to send the game to overtime.

In the overtime session, neither team could open up a big lead, and with the Saints up one at 69-68, Bethany’s Jenny Place made a jump shot with forty-six seconds in the first overtime to make it 70-29 Bison. After a Lisa Mitchell foul with only ten seconds remaining, senior Katie Seward stepped to the free throw line and knocked down two big free throws to give the Saints back the lead at 71-70. However, Mitchell made up for her late foul, taking the ball and scoring a lay up as the buzzer sounded to give Bethany the overtime win.

The Saints were led in the Chuck Resler Invitation by senior forward Nora Curley, who led the team in scoring and rebounding both games. Against Bethany, she had 20 points, nine rebounds, and an assist. For her outstanding play, Curley was selected on to the All-Tournament team. Gaetano finished the game with eight points and two assists, while junior Andrea Muszynski added a solid 13 point, five board performance.

The Saints will look to bounce back from the tough defeat on Sunday, November 27 th when they play at home for the first time this season against Oswego at 2:00pm.

SAINTS DROP SEASON OPENER TO

YELLOWJACKETS IN TIP-OFF TOURNEY

Nov. 18: The St. Lawrence University women’s basketball team got their season underway Friday evening at the University of Rochester Tip-Off Tournament against the host Yellowjackets of Rochester. The Saints, playing from behind most of the game, were unable to battle out of a first half deficit and fell in the opener 61-47.

Although the Saints (0-1) grabbed an early 7-2 lead, the Yellowjackets, playing on their home floor, were too tough in the early going. Rochester took the lead on a three pointer by Jessie Graham just over five minutes into the game and the home team never looked back. Rochester rattled off a 23-2 run to take a 21-9 lead with midway through the first half. The Saints refused to go quietly, however, and closed the gap to 8 points at the half with the score 31-23.

Senior forward Nora Curley had a solid opening performance for the Saints, leading her team in scoring and rebounding with 14 and five, respectively. She would also chip in two blocks and a steal. However, the Yellowjackets were too tough defensively in the second half, only letting St. Lawrence get as close as seven points. Danielle Muller led all scorers with 16 points, and added five rebounds and two assists for the host team. Teammates Helen Baroody (9 points, 2 rebounds) and Emily Bango (6 points, 4 assists, 4 steals) were key contributors for Rochester as well.

Sophomores Kimberly Sikule and Jamie Wolff kept the Saints in the game, playing solid at the guard position. Sikule had six points, four rebounds and three steals, while fellow underclassmen Jamie Wolff matched her point total and had three steals of her own on the defensive end.

The Saints will play in the third place game of the Rochester Tip-Off Tournament tomorrow, Saturday, November 19 th at 3:00pm versus Bethany. The Yellowjackets will play in the 6:00pm Championship game versus Baldwin Wallace.

SAINTS LOOK FOR TALENTED GROUP TO

MAKE STRIDES IN '05-'06

Nov. 14: The St. Lawrence University women’s basketball team has one important goal for the 2005-2006 season: reach the NCAA Tournament. However, Head Coach Jennifer Kroll and her squad know the task at hand is anything but easy.

With a tough non-conference schedule, including six teams that qualified for the 2005 Division III NCAA Tournament, the Saints know they may take some bumps in the early part of the season. However, the preparation will hopefully have the Saints right where they want to be going into a tough Liberty League schedule.

The Saints will be without Meredith Pridgen, Kelly O’Brien, Jessica Zuk, and Mary Hever, who all graduated in the spring of 2005. The Saints will miss both the leadership qualities this group had, along with their size.

“Having graduated two 6'2 players, we will have to work a lot harder defensively and on the boards. The leadership that we got from our seniors last year was outstanding. This was the last group of players that played on the team that advanced to the National Championship game in 2002. The legacy that they left the program will be felt in the level of expectation that the players set for themselves. This is an extremely hard working group this year. They will, no doubt, be fun to coach,” added Coach Kroll.

With a solid group of core players, St. Lawrence will look to junior Andrea Muszynski to assert herself in the post along with senior Nora Curley. At the guard positions, junior Britt Gaetano will run the show along with junior Jess Smith. Sophomore Kim Sikule has taken her defense to the next level and will play minutes alongside sophomore 3-pt. shooting threat Jamie Wolff. Junior Chrisie Herbst will also add leadership and depth to a good core of guards.

“The primary focus right now is getting better everyday. With six newcomers, there is a lot of learning and thinking going on in practice,” said Kroll.

Although the Saints bring leadership and depth, they will without a doubt need the newcomers to deliver some big minutes if they want to reach their goals. First-years Lauren Sischo, Jenna Krzemien, Katie Palmer, and sophomore transfer Amy Fortener will need to step into their roles early and help set the tone for a season the Saints hope will bring an NCAA Tournament appearance.

The Saints begin their season on Friday, November 18 th versus the University of Rochester at the Rochester Tip-Off Tournament at 6:00pm.