Women's Basketball | 11/22/2009 4:20:00 PM

Click for Box Score

ROCHESTER, NY -- The RIT women's basketball team dropped their first game of the season, losing to St. Lawrence University 51-46 in the championship game of the 2009 RIT Tip-Off Classic. #Sharon Dennis (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) and Danielle Furman (Coudersport, PA/Coudersport)# were All-Tournament team selections.

RIT led by as many as 10 points in the first half despite committing 19 turnovers. The Tigers went on an 11-2 run late in the half, taking a 28-18 lead on a jumper by Dennis.

The Tigers shot 43.5 percent from the floor in the first half on 10-of-23 shooting. Dennis led RIT with eight points and seven rebounds. #Shelby Vakiener (Fairport, NY/Fairport) added seven points for RIT and (Fayetteville, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius)Jasmine Maisonet (Baldwin, NY/Sacred Heart Academy)# scored five.

St. Lawrence struggled from the floor in the first half, shooting 27.6 percent from the floor. The Saints were able to generate offense off of RIT turnovers, scoring 14 points off turnovers in the first half.

The Saints opened the second half on a 10-4 run, taking a one point lead on a layup by Katherine Edgerton. RIT went scoreless for a little over three minutes in the second half until #Charley Scott-McGrail (Batavia, NY/Notre Dame)# broke the RIT drought with her jumper to give RIT a 35-34 lead.

The lead changed hands six times in the second half. Scott-McGrail's jump shot with 3:01 to play in the second half gave RIT a three-point lead. St. Lawrence closed out the final 3:01 on a 10-2 run to seal the victory.

RIT's #Leslie Havens (Wayland, NY/Wayland-Cohocton)# had a three-pointer from the corner with four seconds to play that would have tied the score, but the shot went long. Abby Stanton sealed the win for the Saints with a pair of free throws with two seconds to play.

Dennis finished with 10 points and 16 rebounds for RIT on 5-of-15 shooting from the floor. Dennis also had two assists and six blocks.

Shelby Vakiener (Fairport, NY/Fairport) and Charley Scott-McGrail (Batavia, NY/Notre Dame) each had nine points off the bench for RIT who fall to 2-1 on the season.

Casey Capello paced St. Lawrence with 15 points, five rebounds and three assists. Iris Santoni chipped in 12 points and four rebounds while Abby Stanton scored 11 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

RIT is off until Monday, November 30 when they host SUNY Geneseo. Tip-off at Clark Gymnasium is at 6 pm.

2009 RIT Tip-Off Classic All-Tournament Team:
Whitney Smith - SUNY Brockport
Colleen Clarke - Cazenovia
Sharon Dennis (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) - RIT
Danielle Furman (Coudersport, PA/Coudersport) - RIT
Casey Capello - St. Lawrence

Brittany Parham - St. Lawrence - MVP