Box Score
Box Score

CANTON, N.Y.- The St. Lawrence men's basketball team edged the Red Hawks 82-75 in the final Liberty League regular season game for both teams. With the victory, St. Lawrence (19-5) finishing 12-2 in conference action and will host the Liberty League Tournament, beginning next Friday. No. 2 Hamilton will face No. 3 Rensselaer, which falls to 13-12 overall and 7-7 in the conference.

Senior captain Rich Williams (Kingston, NY/Kingston) shot 9-for-15 from the floor, including 75-percent from the perimeter, and made two shots from the line to record a game-high 23 points, while also grabbing nine boards, another game high. Three other Saints posted numbers in the double digits, including rookie Terry Parham (Petersburg, VA/Indian River) who scored 13 points. Senior captain Tom Wopperer (Manlius, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius) added 11 points to the offense, while first-year athlete Garrett Sharlow (Massena, NY/Massena Central) chipped in 10 points.

Despite scoring first, RPI found itself down by six points after St. Lawrence made three straight triples to jump out to an early 9-3 edge. The Red Hawks responded with seven straight points to gain an advantage, but the Saints quickly regained control of the scoreboard. Again, the home team earned a 16-10 lead with 13:49 to play but Rensselaer brought it back within two, 16-14, with 12:06 remaining in the half. St. Lawrence used the remainder of the half to earn a double-digit advantage over the Red Hawks as the Saints outscored their opponent 21-13 to end the half with a 10-point lead, 37-27. 

The Saints were able to maintain their double-digit lead over RPI throughout the vast majority of the second half, until the Red Hawks scored eight consecutive points late in the frame to close within five of the home team, 75-70, with just 51 seconds left in regulation. That was the closest they got, as the Saints we able to use free throws and a fast break by Parham to earn with 82-75 win.

St. Lawrence's advantage came from three-point range, where they shot 45-percent compared to RPI's 15.4-percent. The two teams were nearly equal in shooting percentage, free throw percentage, and turnovers, and both collected 39 rebounds.

Leading RPI was junior Eric Anderson, who recorded 20 points, while sophomore DJ Blakemore and senior Sam Simmons added 14 and 13 points, respectively.