ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT (6-6, 0-3 Liberty League) women's basketball team dropped its Liberty League home opener on Friday, 84-68 to St. Lawrence (7-3, 2-1 Liberty League).

Ashlynn Palmitesso (Fulton, NY/G. Ray Bodley) led RIT with 17 points, while Jessica Glaz (Rockaway Beach, NY/Scholars Academy) added 13. Merissa Maiorano (Rochester, NY/Pittsford Mendon) added eight points and seven rebounds. The Tigers shot 43.1 percent from the floor on 25-of-58 shooting.RIT made 5-of-14 from behind the arc and went 13-of-18 from the foul line.

RIT tallied the first six points of the game. St. Lawrence answered back with a 12-0 run, taking a 12-6 lead on a layup by Allison Cady with 13:43 to play. RIT took a 27-25 lead late in the first half when Maria Edwards (Forrest Hill, MD/The John Carroll School) hit a jumper. St. Lawrence outscored RIT 9-0 over the final 4:25 to lead 34-27 at the break. Palmitesso and Glaz led the Tigers with seven first-half points.
 
St. Lawrence extended its lead to 22 points in the second half, shooting 55.2 percent from the floor over the final 20 minutes. The Tigers climbed to within 14 points late in the half on a pair of free throws by Glaz. RIT would get no closer as the Saints were able to hold on for the 16-point win.

St. Lawrence held a 44-33 rebounding edge. The Tigers scored 30 points in the paint and nine second-chance points. Kara McDuffee led the Saints with 21 points and 16 rebounds. 

St. Lawrence leads the all-time series between the two schools, 22-7.

RIT returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 10 when the Tigers host Clarkson University at 2 p.m. on the floor of Clark Gym.