SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Skidmore College women's basketball team outscored William Smith 21-8 in the third quarter and went on to defeat the Herons, 72-67, on Tuesday evening.
 
Skidmore has won two in-a-row for the first time since November, when the Thoroughbreds started the season on a six-game winning streak. Skidmore improves to 11-5 overall and 6-5 in the Liberty League. Meanwhile, William Smith falls to 4-12 and 3-7.
 
Freshman Cassie Davidson had the best showing of her rookie campaign thus far. She led the Thoroughbreds with 16 points and seven rebounds and spearheaded a dominant 35-9 advantage for Skidmore in bench points. Julia Blanck had 12 points, while Kate McCarney finished with 11 – all in the second half. Blanck and McCarney combined to go a perfect 12-of-12 in free throws. Becca Horger had 10 points and three steals.    
 
Olivia Parisi had a game-high 28 points and 10 rebounds for William Smith. She made her first nine free-throw attempts before the last two bounced out. Lauren DeVaney posted 14 points and nine boards for the visitors.
 
Skidmore scored the final 10 points of the first quarter and the first three (a 3-pointer from Emilija Jakumaite), in the second frame, to lead by nine. Then, the Herons closed the first half on a 21-5 run to lead by six at the break.
 
McCarney drained a 3-pointer to open the scoring in the second half and Horger picked off the in-bound pass before McCarney chased down her own rebound and poured in a layup to turn the momentum back in Skidmore's favor. The teams traded points until, trailing 39-38, the Thoroughbreds took command with a 10-2 run over the final 2:44 of the third quarter.
 
The Thoroughbreds led by at least two possessions throughout the closing quarter and by as much as 11. William Smith made a pair of long-range 3-pointers in the final 17 seconds of play to help shrink its deficit down to six.
 
Skidmore closes its homestand this weekend by hosting RPI on Friday, Feb. 4 at 5:30 p.m. and Ithaca on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 2 p.m. for the Big Green Scream.