SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Two consecutive victories last weekend put the Skidmore College women's basketball team in position to return to the Liberty League tournament. The final road test awaits the Thoroughbreds this weekend, as Skidmore travels west to take on William Smith and RIT.
Skidmore (7-14, 6-8 Liberty League) visits William Smith (13-7, 9-5) on Friday at 5 p.m., before ending the weekend Saturday with a trip to RIT (14-6, 9-4) at 2 p.m.
In Skidmore's last games against William Smith and RIT, the Thoroughbreds fell to the Herons (Jan. 12), but topped RIT (Jan. 11).
The Thoroughbreds, defending league champions, sit in sixth place in the league standings, half a game ahead of RPI with four games to go. The top six teams make the upcoming Liberty League tournament, which begins on Feb. 19. Skidmore can move as high as third place in the league standings.
Last weekend, Skidmore erased a 13-point, second-half deficit to defeat Ithaca 61-59, and led the whole way in a 72-43 win at Bard.
Taylor Ong averaged 17 points and 11.0 rebounds over the weekend,
earning her first Liberty League Performer of the Week honor on Monday.
Jessica Centore leads the team with 8.3 ppg. Centore also leads the team in steals (2.0 spg.) and assists (2.6 apg.). Ong is right behind in scoring at 8.0 ppg., and leads the team in rebounds (8.1 rpg.).
Haley English (7.9 ppg.) and
Kate McCarney (7.0 ppg.) round out Skidmore's top scorers.
William Smith comes into the weekend riding a three-game win streak, defeating St. Lawrence, Clarkson, and RPI. The Herons are sitting in fourth place in the league standings, just a half-game behind third-place RIT.
Mia Morrison is second in the Liberty League in both scoring (19.3 ppg.) and rebounds (9.5 rpg.). Stavriana Dimitrakopoulou (10.6 ppg.) and Juliana Gamboa (9.0 ppg.) round out William Smith's top scorers. Gamboa leads the team in assists (3.8 apg.).
RIT has seemingly righted the ship, winners of the last six games. The Tigers have won the last three games on the road, defeating Clarkson, St. Lawrence, and Ithaca this past Tuesday.
Sabrina Wolfe leads the team in scoring at 14.6 ppg. It's a balanced offense for the Tigers, with four players: Cori Okada (13.0 ppg.), Brooke Stanley (13.0 ppg.), and Tara Lynch (11.3 ppg.) averaging double figures in scoring. Alyssa Juregens leads the team in rebounds at 7.9 rpg.
