SIKULE NAMED GUARD OF THE WEEK

Feb. 11: St. Lawrence University senior and co-captain Kim Sikule was named Liberty League “Co-Guard of the Week” on Monday for her integral part in the Saints’ 3-0 success last week as the team defeated league opponents Clarkson, Union, and Skidmore.

Sikule (Westerlo, NY/Berne-Knox Westerlo) scored 48 points, averaging 16 points per game, in the three contests last week. The guard shot 16-for-29 (.552) from the floor and 9-for-14 (.643) from three-point range, while also grabbing 14 steals. She tallied a season-high 24 points against the Golden Knights, where she shot 5-for-7 from behind the arc. It is the first time this season and the third time in her career that Sikule has earned the honor.

The Saints, who are currently 17-4 overall and 7-3 in the Liberty League, will host William Smith on Friday, February 15 th, as St. Lawrence celebrates National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00pm.

(Photo by Tara Freeman)

SAINTS EDGE SKIDMORE 48-47 IN CONFERENCE ACTION

Feb. 9: The St. Lawrence University women’s basketball team pulled out another close contest Saturday afternoon as the Saints went 2-0 over the weekend and edged Skidmore College 48-47 in Liberty League action at the Sports and Recreation Center in Saratoga Springs, NY.

The win leaves St. Lawrence (17-4, 7-3) 3-0 in third place in the conference, while Skidmore (12-9, 5-5) moves to fifth.

The Saints started out the contest with junior Lauren Sischo (Rodman, NY/South Jefferson) making two free throws, but Skidmore followed with a 10-0 run to propel them ahead of the Saints 10-2 with 15:31 left on the clock in the first.

The visiting team sent a strong message to their hosts by making three consecutive three-point shots in their own 9-2 streak, which concluded with senior co-captain Kim Sikule (Westerlo, NY/Berne-Knox Westerlo) making a lay-up off a fast break to give St. Lawrence a 13-12 lead with 12:24 left in the half, the Saints’ first lead of the contest.

Skidmore quickly regained a slight edge over the Saints, but the Scarlet and Brown was able to keep it a two-possession game down the stretch until a Thoroughbred free throw by Christine Kemp with 17 seconds left in the half gave Skidmore a seven point lead, ending the period with a 25-18 edge over St. Lawrence.

The Thoroughbreds continued to extend their lead as the second half began, earning as much as a nine-point advantage before the Saints went on a 15-4 run to regain control of the game with 11:43 remaining. The two teams fought throughout the next few minutes, as the contest then saw four more lead changes before St. Lawrence would jump out ahead after a three from Sischo. Skidmore didn’t allow St. Lawrence to gain anything bigger than a six-point lead and was able to cut it down to just one point less than a second left on the clock, but the buzzer sounded, giving the Saints a close 48-47 win.

A tough Skidmore defense kept St. Lawrence from taking a lot of shots within the paint, as St. Lawrence only scored 10 of their points from the key. The Thoroughbreds forced the Saints to take nearly half their shots from three-point range, where St. Lawrence shot 35-percent.

Sischo led St. Lawrence with 12 points, shooting 3-for-5 from the field, including 2-for-3 from behind the arc, as well as 4-for-6 from the line. She also had five assists and three rebounds. Both Sikule and her co-captain, senior Jamie Wolff ( Buffalo, NY/Nardin Academy) added 11 points each to the Saints’ efforts, with Sikule grabbing a game-high five steals as well as six rebounds. Eight of Wolff’s 11 points came in the second half to help the Scarlet and Brown overcome their halftime deficit. The guard also added four boards.

The Saints return to action next Friday as they host William Smith in Burkman Gymnasium. Friday’s game marks St. Lawrence’s celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00pm.

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.

SIKULE FUELS 76-36 SAINTS VICTORY

OVER CLARKSON

Feb. 5: Each member of the St. Lawrence women’s basketball team scored Tuesday night as the Saints took on Liberty League opponent Clarkson University and defeated the Golden Knights 76-36 on their home court in Alumni Gym in neighboring Potsdam, NY.

Clarkson was able to use their home turf to their advantage as they began the game out ahead of St. Lawrence in the first part of the contest, but the Saints used a 25-5 run down the stretch that was sparked by three consecutive three-pointers by sophomore Brittany Parham (Fort Drum, NY/Indian River) and senior co-captain Kim Sikule (Westerlo, NY/Berne-Knox/Westerlo) to help push past the Golden Knight 2-3 zone defense.

Both Parham and Sikule had notable first halves as Parham shot 4-for-5 from beyond the arc to tally 12 points, while Sikule also posted 12. Together, the two Saints accounted for more than two-thirds of the Scarlet and Brown’s points in the first half, as St. Lawrence took a 35-18 lead into halftime.

The second half saw the Saints more than double their lead, as Sikule continued to be dominant for St. Lawrence’s offense. The Scarlet and Brown was able to keep the Golden Knights from making any shots from three-point range and their tough defensive strategy forced Clarkson to turn the ball over 36 times, resulting in 43 points for the Saints.

After containing Clarkson to 18 points in both halves, the Saints walked off the court with their second victory over their North Country rival this season, 76-36.

Sikule tallied 12 more points in the second, giving her a game-high 24 points for the game in only 21 minutes on the court, her best game of the season thus far. The guard shot 8-for-12, including 5-for-7 from behind the arc, and was perfect from the free throw line to help the Saints to victory.

In addition to Sikule and Parham, junior Katie Palmer (Bourne, MA/Falmouth Academy) scored in the double-digits, netting 12 points as well.

St. Lawrence, now 15-4 overall and 5-3 in the Liberty League, will travel to Schenectady, NY on Friday to face Union College for the second time in their 2007-2008 campaign. The first contest saw the Saints prevail over the Dutchwomen, 62-47. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00pm.