Potsdam, NY – For the second time in three weeks, St. Lawrence’s defense was too much for the Clarkson University Women’s Basketball team to overcome, as the Golden Knights succumbed to the Saints 76-36 in a Liberty League match up Tuesday night at Alumni Gymnasium.
The Golden Knights fell to 3-16 overall and 1-7 in the Liberty League, while St. Lawrence got back on track after at two-game losing streak, moving to 15-4 overall and 5-3 in conference. The two teams will take on Skidmore and Union this weekend.
In an eerily similar repeat of the first time the two teams met, the Golden Knights were unable to take care of the basketball, committing 19 turnovers in the opening half. However, Clarkson copied its first game in another way, shooting well enough to keep the game close early on. Making five of its first nine shots, Clarkson led 13-10 with 11:24 remaining, but a pair of significant runs gave St. Lawrence a sizeable edge at the half. A 9-0 run returned the Saints to the lead (19-13), and a 14-0 run over the course of 4:45 late in the half pushed the lead to 18, with the Knights sliding back another point to make the score 35-18.
Brittany Parham came off the bench to score 12 points for the Saints, shooting 4-for-5 from beyond the 3-point arc, while Kim Sikule mixed her 12 points with three short shots and two 3-pointers. Sophomore forward Michelle Reddinger (Baldwinsville, NY) scored 7 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and denied 3 shots in the first half to lead the Knights.
The second half didn’t prove to be any better for Clarkson as the guards struggled against St. Lawrence’s full-court pressure, which extended for a significant portion of the half. Kim Sikule finished with 24 points, making eight of her 12 attempts, including a 5-for-7 performance from beyond the arc. Katie Palmer and Parham each finished with 12 points as well.
For Clarkson, Reddinger had seven points and Rachel Whitermore (Holliston, MA), Casey Laush (Westford, VT), and Lauren Pluchino (Liverpool, NY) each added six points. Reddinger also blocked five shots.
