The Herons (14-10, 8-6) started the game on a 14-0 run and never looked back. Vassar managed to whittle its deficit down to nine, 17-8, with 12:10 to go in the first half, but a Coney three-pointer pushed William Smith’s lead back into double digits for good.
Junior guard Marissa Vespa (Immeaculate Heart/Watertown, N.Y.) and first-year forward Erin Cunningham (Morris Knolls/Rockaway, N.J.) both posted double-doubles for the Herons. Vespa, who ended the regular season as the conference’s assist leader (140, 6.1 apg), scored 10 points and dished out 11 assists, while Cunningham notched 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Junior forward Stephanie Czajkowski (Bishop Ludden/Syracuse, N.Y.) chipped in with 13 points.
Vassar (6-18, 1-13) was led by the 15 points and 10 rebounds of senior center Rachel Cerlen (Milburn/Florham Park, N.J.), while first-year forward Emily Haeuser (S. Portland/S. Portland, Maine) added 12 points.
William Smith shot 40.6 percent from the floor for the game, including 7 of 14 from long range, while committing just 11 turnovers. Meanwhile, the Brewers, who ended the season on a 13-game losing streak, shot just 30.6 percent, including a mere 7 of 32 in the first half, and turned the ball over 17 times.
The Herons tied Rensselaer for fourth place in the League standings, but earned the tournament bid by virtue of a season sweep of the Red Hawks. William Smith will square off with top-seeded St. Lawrence in Canton in the semifinal round. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.
VASSAR (6-18, 1-13 LL) Rachel Cerlen 6-15 3-4 15; Emily Haeuser 6-11 0-0 12; Chelsea Katzenberg 2-8 4-4 9; Elise Okusami 2-13 2-2 7; Melissa Jones 1-5 0-0 3; Emma Carmichael 1-2 1-3 3; Alison McSheehy 1-6 0-0 2; Ashley Sherman 0-1 0-0 0; Amanda Pesco 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 19-62 10-13 51. WILLIAM SMITH (14-10, 8-6 LL) Latasha Coney 5-8 2-2 14; Stephanie Czajkowski 4-9 5-6 13; Erin Cunningham 5-10 1-2 11; Marisa Vespa 3-3 2-2 10; Paula Foote 3-6 1-2 8; Nikki Lombardi 2-4 0-1 4; Stephanie Cochran 1-3 0-0 3; Paige Myers 1-2 0-0 3; Robyn Capoto 0-5 2-2 2; Kristen Suatoni 1-4 0-0 2; Emily Alcott 1-4 0-0 2; Julie Hooper 0-2 0-0 0; Amanda Nann 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 26-64 13-17 72. Halftime-William Smith 40-17. 3-point goals--Vassar 3-10 (Jones 1-3; Katzenberg 1-1; Okusami 1-3; McSheehy 0-2; Pesco 0-1), William Smith 7-14 (Coney 2-3; Vespa 2-2; Foote 1-3; Myers 1-2; Cochran 1-2; Alcott 0-1; Hooper 0-1). Fouled out--None. Rebounds--Vassar 40 (Cerlen 10), William Smith 44 (Cunningham 10). Assists--Vassar 12 (McSheehy 2; Katzenberg 2; Okusami 2; Carmichael 2; Pesco 2), William Smith 22 (Vespa 11). Total fouls--Vassar 13, William Smith 14. Technical fouls--None. A-300