Box Score | Game Highlights

TROY, N.Y. - Junior Ines Ortea scored a game-high 23 points and Elizabeth Eckhardt had a dozen, including the 1000th of her career, but it was not enough as the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's basketball team dropped a Liberty League contest to William Smith College at East Campus Arena. The Engineers are now 9-9 overall and 4-7 in the league, while the Herons improve to 11-7 and 7-5.

Following a 14-13 first quarter, William Smith increased its lead to 10 points at halftime, 34-24, behind Mia Morrison's 10 points and Kyesha Talerico's eight points and four rebounds off the bench. The Herons shot 44.1% (15 of 34) from the floor, while holding the Engineers to 26.7% (8 of 30). RPI turned the ball over nine time in the first 20 minutes with the visitors picking up six steals.

William Smith increased its lead by a point by the end of the third quarter (44-33) but were forced to hold off the Engineers in the fourth. The teams traded baskets for the first two minutes of the final frame, but Rensselaer cut its deficit to five points with 6:48 to play (49-44) behind five straight points from Ortea. Morrison answered with a pair of jumpers around an Ortea free throw for an eight point bulge, 53-45, 1:10 later. Ortea scored again, but the Herons got a fast break layup from Juliana Gamboa, a jumper from Olivia Hughes and another short range basket from Gamboa for a 12-point lead with under two minutes remaining. 

Eckhardt, a senior, made it a nine point difference with a three pointer from the right side that pushed her to career point total to 1,001. She would make another from behind the arc before the game ended and now has 1,004 points, which is tied for 13th on the school's all-time scoring list. The guard also chipped in with six rebounds. Ortea was successful on 8 of 16 shots from the floor and 6 of 9 from the free throw line. She also had a game-high seven rebounds with an assist, a steal and a blocked shot. 

Morrison led the visitors with 18 points, along with five rebounds and a steal. Stavriana Dimitrakopoulou had 12 points and Hughes scored 10 with six rebounds. Gamboa had six points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Talerico finished with eight points and five boards. William Smith made 42.2% (27 of 64) of its shots and the Engineers connected on 30.6% (19 of 62).

RPI is back on the floor on Friday at Union College (5pm), while the Herons travel to St. Lawrence University on Friday (5pm).