SAINTS SNEAK PAST UNION, 58-53

Feb. 8: The Saints women’s basketball team earned their tenth road victory and their sixth conference win of their 2007-2008 campaign Friday night, as St. Lawrence defeated Liberty League opponent Union College 58-53 in the Viniar Athletic Center in Schenectady, NY.

Prior to the contest, the Saints and Dutchwomen were tied for third place in the Liberty League standings. With the win, St. Lawrence, now 16-4 overall and 6-3 in the conference, remain in third place, while Union falls to 11-8 overall and 5-4 in the League, and are currently tied for fourth with neighboring Skidmore College.

At no point throughout the contest did the Saints relinquish their lead to Union, but their battle was not easy. Both teams started out even with one another, going shot-for-shot, until a lay-up by junior Jenna Krzemien ( Springville, NY/Springville) with 6:51 to go began a 13-0 Saint run within a span of just three minutes. The Dutchwomen responded and were able to cut the Scarlet and Brown’s double-digit lead nearly in half, with Union trailing St. Lawrence by eight at halftime, 34-26.

A refreshed Dutchwomen squad entered the second half and played a strong defensive game, as they were able to contain St. Lawrence throughout the majority of the final 20 minutes. The Saints were able to gain their second double-digit lead early in the second half, jumping ahead of the Dutchwomen by as many as 13 points, but Union put pressure on the Scarlet and Brown and was able to close that gap quickly. For the final 6:22, the Saints saw the home team catch up, bringing the score within one on a couple of occasions with as little as 2:15 to go, but St. Lawrence was able to pull ahead in the final seconds and take a 58-53 victory.

Union’s 13 fouls in the second half proved to be the difference in the contest. While the Dutchwomen outscored the Saints 27-24 in the last period, St. Lawrence was able to use Union’s foul trouble to their advantage. More than half of the Saints’ points for the period came from free throws, as the Scarlet and Brown shot 13-for-17 in the half. St. Lawrence did not give Union that same opportunity, as the Dutchwomen only had two free throw opportunities throughout the entire contest.

Three members of the Saints’ squad scored in the double digits, with senior co-captain Jamie Wolff (Buffalo, NY/Nardin Academy) leading the way with a game-high 20 points, her seventh game of the season with 20-plus points. The guard also had four assists and six boards and scored 12 of her points in the first half. Junior Katie Palmer (Bourne, MA/Falmouth Academy) tallied 16 points and seven rebounds, while senior co-captain Kim Sikule (Westerlo, NY/Berne-Knox/Westerlo) added 13 points and a game-high five steals.

The Saints will conclude their weekend in Albany on Saturday by playing Skidmore College in conference action. Earlier in the season, St. Lawrence defeated the Thoroughbreds, 71-37. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00pm in Saratoga Springs, NY.