Trailing by 11 with less than 10 minutes left in the game, the Saints pulled within five points with nine minutes left to go in the game. Hamilton put their lead back in double-digits after a lay-up by junior forward Giorgi Chavleishvilli and a three-pointer by freshman guard Dave Alston. St. Lawrence responded with five straight points; a put-back by Sharlow and a three-pointer by sophomore guard Tom Wopperer to tighten Hamilton's margin to 66-60 with 5:11 left in the game. With momentum on their side, the Saints kept Hamilton's lead under ten until they were forced to foul with just 1:30 remaining in the game. Hamilton converted at the free throw line to seal the victory.
The win gives Hamilton, who defeated the Saints in 81-74 in Clinton, N.Y. on Jan. 13 a one-game lead over the Saints in the Liberty League standings and the tie-breaker if both teams finish with the same league record.
Sharlow and Williams provided a spark off the bench, combining for 30 points. Sharlow went 7-of-12 from the field and 2-of-3 from behind the arc while Williams was 5-of-9 from the field. His 11 rebounds was a team high. Statistically, the game was evenly matched. St. Lawrence shot 45 percent (16-of-57) from the field while Hamilton put in 47 percent (30-of-63) of their shot. Each team pulled down 35 rebounds and the Saints had just two more turnovers the Hamilton. St. Lawrence struggled from behind the arc and defensively, had no answer for Hamilton's senior forward Tsakani Ngobeni, the league's second-leading scorer. Ngobeni scored 24 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. Behind Ngobeni, Chavleishvilli and Alston had 12 points apiece.
The Saints will try to rebound tomorrow afternoon when they take on the Hobart Statesmen at 4 p.m. in Burkman Gym. The game is the Saints final home game of the season.