SAINTS ADVANCE WITH DOUBLE OVERTIME WIN IN LIBERTY LEAGUE SEMIFINAL

Feb. 29: Katie Palmer kept the St. Lawrence University women’s basketball team alive in the Liberty League semifinals against Hamilton at William Smith on Friday and senior Kim Sikule put the Saints in the championship game with four points and a steal in the final 2:07 of the second overtime in a 75-70 win over the Continentals.

The Saints, now 22-4, will play the winner of the second semifinal game between top seed William Smith and Rensselaer in the championship game at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Palmer twice foiled Hamilton’s upset bid as she made a layup with 23 seconds to go in regulation to tie the game at 57-57 and then made a free throw with 16 seconds to go in the first overtime period to force the second extra period. She finished with19 points including three of six from three point range and had six rebounds, four assists and two steals before fouling out with 3:16 to go in the second overtime.

Sikule and Amy Fortner took it from there for the Saints. Sikule fed Fortner for a layup with 2:44 to go to put the Saints up 69-66, and after Laura Wetmore pulled Hamilton to within a point, Sikule scored on a jumper with 2:07 left to re-establish the three point lead. Hamilton pulled to within one again with 43 seconds left on a layup by Pumla Sathula, but Fortner scored on a jumper with 20 seconds to go to make it 73-70 and Sikule rebounded a missed three pointer and was fouled, icing the game with two free throws with 10 seconds to play.

The game featured 11 ties as Hamilton battled back from an 11-point deficit in the final 4:09 of the first half and was down by just two at the intermission. Hamilton went up by four, 53-49 with 4:01 left, but consecutive layups by Brittany Parham tied it with 3:14 to play. Hamilton went back up by two with 1:16 to go in regulation, but Palmer tied it for the sixth time on two free throws with 1:06 to play and Sarah Shrader of Hamilton and Palmer swapped layups in the final minute of regulation to set up the first overtime.

The two teams traded points through the first 3:19 of the first overtime with Hamilton taking a 64-62 lead with 1:18 to go. Jamie Wolff made one of two free throws with 53 seconds to go and Palmer went one for two with 16 seconds left in the first overtime to set up the decisive second session.

Sikule finished with ten points, five rebounds, three assists and four steals while Parnham was perfect from the field and had ten points and three steals. Lauren Sischo scored 11 points and Wolff scored nine points and had 11 assists and three steals, playing the entire 50 minutes. Fortner went four for eight with six of her points coming in overtime and Jenna Krzemien scored eight points on four for five shooting.

The Saints shot over 50 percent from the floor in both the second half and overtime and had a 42-27 edge in rebounding.

Sydney Fasulo led Hamilton with 23 points and ten rebounds while Sathula added 15 points and Wetmore scored 12. The Continentals finish their season 15-10.