Box Score

TROY, N.Y. – The St. Lawrence University women’s basketball team got 26 points and nine rebounds from junior Katie Palmer (Bourne, MA/Falmouth Academy) in beating Rensselaer 63-50, at Robison Gym. With the win, the Saints finish the regular season with a 21-4 overall record, including an 11-3 mark in the Liberty League. The Red Hawks are now 12-12 and 7-7.

Despite the loss, RPI advances to the Liberty League playoffs thanks to Hamilton defeating Union and William Smith defeating Skidmore.

The Saints scored the first 12 points of the game and led by as many as 18 points at 28-10 with 7:17 remaining in the first half. Senior Jamie Wolff (Buffalo, NY/Nardin Academy) led all scorers in the opening stanza, recording 13 points on 5 for 9 shooting from the floor (3 for 4 from three-point range). Twelve of Palmer’s game-high 26 points came in the first.

The Red Hawks used a 13-5 run to cut the deficit to 33-23 at the half. Tory Lyons (Feeding Hills, MA/Agawam) hit a jumper from the middle of the lane to cap off the run with less than 10 seconds on the clock.

Junior Elizabeth Barker (Suffield, CT/Cathedral) and senior Brittney O’Neal (Clinton, CT/The Morgan School) each had six points for the Red Hawks in the first 20 minutes of play.

Rensselaer continued its run to open the second half as O’Neal and Lyons combined to score eight of the first nine points, bringing the Red Hawks within three points at 34-31. 

Following a SLU timeout, a 13-3 Saints run pushed their lead to 47-34 with just under 10 minutes to play in the game. St. Lawrence held at least a seven point advantage the rest of the way, in part to the team shooting 90.9% (20 for 22) from the free-throw line in the second.

Barker made a three-pointer with 1:04 to go, cutting the Saints lead to 57-50, but perfect foul shooting from senior Kimberly Sikule (Westerlo, NY/Berne-Knox Westerlo) and Palmer sealed the victory.

Aiding Palmer’s 26 points was Wolff, who finished with 18 for St. Lawrence.

The Red Hawks were led by 14 points from O’Neal, who also hauled in six rebounds and a steal. Barker finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Rensselaer is back in action next Friday in Geneva, NY, where it will take on top seeded William Smith in the Liberty League playoffs. Time of tip-off is 8pm.  St. Lawrence, the second seed, faces third-seeded Hamilton on Friday at 6pm.