TROY, N.Y. - Brielle Sharry scored 16 points with 13 rebounds and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's basketball team scored the first seven points of the second quarter and then had 11 of the first 13 to start the third on its way to a 46-35 win over William Smith College in a Liberty League game at East Campus Arena. It was the regular season finale for both teams.
 
With the victory, RPI improves to 10-8 in the conference and earns the No. 4 seed in next week's league tournament. Rensselaer, which is 13-12 overall, hosts No. 5 St. Lawrence University on Tuesday at 5:30pm in a first round matchup. The Herons conclude with an overall record of 7-18 and a league mark of 5-13.
 
With the score tied at 8-8 after the first quarter, the Engineers got baskets from Hannah McGrath, Marley Mueller, and Danielle Strauf, who nailed a three, for a 15-8 lead halfway through the second. William Smith fought back, scoring the next five points, including a triple from Carly Scott at the 3:27 mark, but RPI countered with consecutive threes from Lolo Reynolds, Molly Libby, and Marley Mueller. It led 24-13 with just over a minute left before the break. A Lauren DeVaney layup pulled the visitors to within nine points, 24-15, at halftime.
 
Sharry and Heather Converse opened the third quarter scoring to increase Rensselaer's margin to 28-15 before DeVaney knocked down a jumper. Seven straight points by the Engineers gave them a 35-17 lead with 6:16 to play in the third quarter and the difference remained double digits from that point on. It grew to as many as 20 points.
 
Sharry, a graduate student, had six baskets, including four treys, while four of her 13 rebounds came on the offensive end. She also registered three steals. Converse, a senior, had eight points and 11 rebounds and Nicole DaPra added 10 boards for RPI, which held a 50-37 edge in that category.
 
The Herons were paced by DeVaney's 15 points and 15 rebounds, along with three steals and three assists.