Potsdam, NY – Delivering her third 20-point game of the season, sophomore Carey Turner (Clifton Park, NY) helped the Clarkson University Women’s Basketball team end its 10-game losing streak with a 83-80 win over William Smith College in Liberty League action Saturday afternoon at Alumni Gymnasium.

The Golden Knights claimed their first win in conference play this season, moving to 1-6 in league and 4-13 overall, while William Smith fell to 5-12 and 1-6. Clarkson looks to take this momentum into its game at St. Lawrence on Tuesday.

Saturday’s game started off on the right foot for the Golden Knights, as they jumped out to a 16-7 lead through the first eight minutes. Clarkson controlled the boards in that span and was able to limit William Smith’s chances on the offensive end. However, it took less than three minutes for the Herons to eliminate that advantage when Molly Danahy completed a 3-point play to tie the score up at 17-17. The two teams went back and forth for the next six minutes and the Herons held a slim 34-33 lead with two minutes remaining in the half, but a 7-0 spurt over the final moments gave William Smith an eight-point advantage at the half.

Senior Michelle Reddinger (Baldwinsville, NY) led the Knights with 7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks in the first half, while freshman Noelle Miller (Hamburg, NY) added 7 point sand 3 rebounds. Ashlinn Barber led the Herons with 14 points in the first 20 minutes, while Danahy contributed 8 points, 4 assists and 3 steals in the opening period.

In the second half, the Herons were able to maintain close to a double-digit lead for the first few minutes, but Clarkson came roaring back with a 9-0 run in two minutes, capped off by a 3-pointer from Carey Turner. Following a timeout, the Knights ran off another 9-0 run to take a sizeable lead, but William Smith went to the interior to make a quick run of its own and make the contest a one-possession game.

The two teams traded baskets and free throws down the stretch until a pass from Lauren Pluchino (Liverpool, NY) found Michelle Reddinger in the paint, where the senior scored on a lay up to give the Knights a 3-point lead, which turned out to be the winning margin.

Turner finished with 23 points, shooting 8-for-13 from the floor and 5-for-6 from the free throw line, adding in 7 rebounds. Katie Goldberg (Stowe, VT) added 12 points, while Reddinger and Pluchino tossed in 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Ashlinn Barber scored a team-high 22 points and 7 rebounds for William Smith. Danahy had 15 points and 6 assists while Julie Hooper had 12 points.