Box Score Box Score

GENEVA, N.Y. – Graduate student Whitney Coleman (Rancho Cucamonga, CA/Etiwanda) netted a career-high 29 points to lead the Rensselaer women's basketball team to a, 72-60, victory over William Smith in Liberty League action. With the win – their sixth straight – the Engineers improve to 10-6 overall (5-0 LL), while the Herons fall to 5-10 (1-4 LL).

Coleman went 11 for 25 from the field and 7 for 11 from the free throw line, while recording eight rebounds, three steals, four assists and a blocked shot. Aiding her offensively was sophomore Laura Easterling (Ventura, CA/Ventura), who finished with 10 points, four boards and three assists.

Trailing by a point at the half (42-41), the Engineers put together a second half in which they held the Herons to just 20.7% shooting (6 for 29) for the field, including 0 for 6 from the beyond the arc. Rensselaer also held a 49-44 edge in total rebounding and turned the ball over seven fewer times (26 to 19).

With the game tied at 47 and 13:37 left in the game, the Engineers went on an 8-2 run to build a six-point lead, which they never relinquished. Sophomores Hillary McKinley (Quinbaug, CT/Tourtellotte Memorial) and Easterling combined for six of the eight points on the run.

RPI pushed its advantage to 10 points (63-53) with 6:36 remaining on a free throw by Coleman. After William Smith cut it to six, less than a minute later, Coleman pushed the Engineers lead back to 10 with four consecutive points. RPI built its largest lead of 12 with just over a minute to go on a pair of free throws by senior Amanda Brophy (Scituate, MA/Milton Academy).

The Herons were paced by Mollie Danahy, who had 19 points, six rebounds and a game-high five steals. Julie Hooper also finished in double figures, scoring 10 points, while Kristen Kush had nine.

Rensselaer is back in action next Friday and Saturday, when it hosts Union (6pm) and Skidmore (2pm), respectively. William Smith visits St. Lawrence and Clarkson.