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Clarkson University Athletics

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Women's Basketball January 18, 2017

CU Women's Basketball Preview - vs. William Smith/RIT (1/20-21)

With splits in its first two weekends on the road, the Clarkson University Women's Basketball team is looking forward to its upcoming home stand with its eyes on a sweep as the Golden Knights host William Smith College and RIT this weekend at Alumni Gymnasium.

Though three teams have raced out to strong starts in the Liberty League standings, the Golden Knights are in the thick of the playoff hunt and can re-establish themselves as contenders for the first-place spot with a solid weekend. Clarkson sits at 8-7 overall and 3-3 in the league, while William Smith is unbeaten in conference at 5-0 and is 11-3 overall. RIT also has a strong overall record at 9-6, but has won only twice in six league games thus far.

Several Clarkson players have had considerable success against this weekend's opponents. Junior Devin Sorell scored just a single point in her first career game against William Smith, but has averaged 20 points per game in the last three contests against the Herons. Stephanie Grobe has averaged 12.5 points per game against William Smith over the course of her career, and she scored 15 points in all three games against RIT last season. Those two have led the charge for the Knights this year as well, as Sorell is up to fourth in the conference in scoring at 13.5 points per game and is tied for the league lead in 3-point field goals made with 27. Grobe is also averaging 9.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest through 15 games this year. Junior Madison Shea saw her overall numbers take a hit when she left after just two minutes against Bard College on Saturday, but she still averages 9.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists (second in the Liberty League) and 3.1 steals per game (first in the Liberty League). Senior Alyssia Marsal doesn't appear to have missed a beat despite missing a month due to injury, as she averaged 9.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game last weekend in her first action since early December.

The Herons missed the Liberty League playoffs last year but appear poised to make the tournament this year with a strong start. Senior Melanie Patterson ranks third in the league in scoring at 14.9 points per game and also is the third name listed on the leaderboard in assists (3.2 apg) and steals (2.4 spg) while ranking fourth in field goal percentage (43.8%). Sophomore Mia Morrison is also steadily producing with 13.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while classmate Natalia Baum is contributing 10.8 points and 2.3 steals per game. Morrison was particularly effective against Clarkson last year, averaging 14.5 points and 10.0 rebounds in the two meetings. The Herons put forth a difficult combination on offense, ranking second in the league in field goal percentage (40.1%) and also second in the conference in offensive rebounds (14.9 orpg), creating second chances in the times they do miss.

RIT fell by two points in the conference championship game last year to Clarkson and returns virtually their entire lineup, so it is a bit surprising that the Tigers have stumbled out of the gate in league play. Sophomore Cori Okada was a reserve last year, but with increased minutes she has become the team's top scorer, averaging 13.1 points per game along with 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest. She also is shooting 50.7% from the field and 90.0% from the free throw line. Classmate Tara Lynch also kicks in 11.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while junior Jessica Glaz averages 12.1 points and 3.8 boards per contest. Her 26 3-pointers are just one off the conference pace as well. An interesting side note for Saturday's game is that RIT averages the fewest turnovers in the conference (13.5 per game) while Clarkson forces more turnovers (20.4 per game) than any other team in the league.  


 
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Players Mentioned

Stephanie Grobe

#21 Stephanie Grobe

G
5' 10"
Senior
Alyssia Marsal

#22 Alyssia Marsal

F
5' 10"
Senior
Madison Shea

#10 Madison Shea

G
5' 6"
Junior
Devin Sorell

#24 Devin Sorell

G
5' 3"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Stephanie Grobe

#21 Stephanie Grobe

5' 10"
Senior
G
Alyssia Marsal

#22 Alyssia Marsal

5' 10"
Senior
F
Madison Shea

#10 Madison Shea

5' 6"
Junior
G
Devin Sorell

#24 Devin Sorell

5' 3"
Junior
G