Women's Basketball | 2/25/2014 11:10:00 AM
ROCHESTER, NY -- The RIT women's basketball team qualified for its first Liberty League Tournament since joining the conference in 2012. RIT, the No. 4 seed, will face No. 1 seed St. Lawrence University in the semifinals on Wednesday, February 26 at 7 pm in Canton, N.Y. The winner advances to the championship game on Saturday, March 1, and will face the winner between No. 2 Vassar and No. 3 William Smith at the highest remaining seed.
RIT (14-11) comes into Wednesday, as the top scoring team in the Liberty League, averaging 68.9 points per game. The Tigers are shooting .365 from the floor and have made 128 three-pointers on the season. RIT is eighth in the league, holding its opponents 67.3 points per game and is out rebounding its opponents 44.7 to 43.7 per game.
Courtney Tennant (Cortland, NY/Cortland) leads the team and is third in the league in scoring, averaging 15.7 points per game. She is sixth in the conference in field goal percentage (.447) and fifth in rebounding (9.5 per game).
Ashlynn Palmitesso (Fulton, NY/G. Ray Bodley) is fourth in the league and second on the team in scoring, averaging 15.4 points per game, and is fourth in the Liberty League with 51 made 3-point field goals.
Kayla Wheeler (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) is third on the team in scoring (9.8) and leads the team in field goal percentage (.459), while
Jess Kramer (Fayetteville, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt) is fourth in scoring (8.7) and leads the team with 86 assists.
St. Lawrence (18-7) comes into Wednesday's semifinals fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 63.3 points per game and is the top defensive team in the conference, allowing 57.8 points per game.
Kara McDuffee leads the Saints in scoring and is tenth in the conference, averaging 13.8 points per game. She is third in the league in rebounding, grabbing 10.3 boards per game. Kelly Legg is second on the team in scoring averaging 12.9 points per game and is ninth in the league in rebounding, grabbing 7.6 caroms per game.
RIT is 7-20 all-time versus the Saints. These two teams split the regular season meetings, with each team winning on its home floor. The Saints won 85-59 in Canton, N.Y. back on Feb. 1. McDuffee led St. Lawrence with 28 points and 10 rebounds, while Wheeler led RIT with 17 points. RIT beat the Saints 59-43 on Feb. 14 at Clark Gym. Tennant led RIT with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Allison Cady scored 12 points to pace St. Lawrence.
RIT can tie a program record for wins in a season with a victory on Wednesday. The Tigers have clinched a winning record for the second time in program history, having finished 15-12 in 2006-07.
