Box Score Box Score

GENEVA, N.Y.—Senior Mollie Danahy recorded a game-high 25 points and a team-high seven rebounds to lead the William Smith College basketball team to a 72-64 win over visiting Rensselaer in a Liberty League game in Bristol Gym. The Herons improve to 14-10 overall and 9-4 in the Liberty League. With the win, William Smith clinches a spot in the league playoffs and is still alive in the hunt for the regular season championship.

Danahy scored 19 of her points in the second half, and added a team-high three steals. She was 11-of-12 from the free throw line and 6-of-13 from the floor. Junior Kristen Kush and sophomore Sydni Salvatore also reached double figures in points. Kush registered 15 points and brought down four rebounds. Salvatore contributed 10 points and five boards. First-year Jacqueline Murphy added seven points and six rebounds and sophomore Jaimie Rubin shared the game-high with five assists.

Sarah Wetmore led Rensselaer (10-14, 6-7) with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Linda Larsen tallied 20 points, grabbed four boards, and registered a game-high six steals. Hillary McKinley chipped in eight points.

The Herons shot 41.5 percent from the floor, 43.8 percent from behind the arc, and made 21-of-26 free throws. William Smith held Rensselaer to 34.4 percent shooting. The Engineers were 17-of-29 from the line and shot 29.4 percent from the three. The Engineers outrebounded William Smith 39-30. Rensselaer also recorded 21 turnovers, while the Herons had 17.

Rensselaer started off the game with an 8-2 run that included 3-pointers by Wetmore and Larsen. It was the largest lead the Engineers would have in the game. Two free throws by Larsen tied up the game at 29 with 49 seconds left in the first half, but first-year Sasha Borenstein answered with a 3-pointer. Borenstein was 2-of-4 from behind the arc. A jumper by Larsen with six seconds remaining cut the Herons' lead to one going into the break.

A layup by Lauren Hayes cut the Engineers' deficit to two with 2:27 remaining in the game, but William Smith responded with five unanswered points to make it 68-61, which marked their largest lead of the game up to that point. Larsen connected for a 3-pointer to get Rensselaer back within four with 51 seconds on the clock, but Rubin stepped up to make four free throws for the final.