Seven of the final 10 regular-season games for the Clarkson University Women's Basketball team will be in the friendlier confines of Alumni Gymnasium, as the Golden Knights look to get on a winning track and challenge for a spot in the top four of the Liberty League.
The Golden Knights enter the weekend with a record of 7-7 overall and 2-4 in the Liberty League, and the squad will be taking on two of the top teams in the conference in RIT (8-7, 4-2) and William Smith (14-3, 7-1).
The Tigers are the highest scoring offense in the Liberty League (72.0 ppg) and are also the strongest rebounding team in the league (46.4 rpg), but their record has them just one game over .500.Three players average better than 10 points per game, with Courtney Tenant leading the team with 15.7 ppg. Tenant averages a double-double as she couples her scoring output with 10.4 rebounds per contest, as well as shooting 44.4% from the floor (fifth in the Liberty League). Ashlynn Palmitesso doesn't have the peripherals of her teammate, but she nearly matches her in scoring, throwing in 15.5 points per game (sixth in the Liberty League). Kayla Wheeler also is scoring 10.5 ppg.
RIT is just 9-20 all-time against the Golden Knights, but Clarkson has lost six straight to the Tigers, last winning in the 2005-06 season by a margin of nine points (51-42).
William Smith has had better luck over the years against Clarkson, winning 44 of the 55 matchups, including seven in a row. Clarkson last beat the Herons in the 2009-10 season by a score of 83-80, which happened to occur at Alumni Gymnasium. The Herons are a strong offensive team like RIT, averaging 71.1 ppg (second in the conference) and shooting 42.6% from the field (first in the league) and 37.2% from beyond the 3-point arc (first in the league). Their strong effort from distance is led by Sasha Borenstein, who ranks second in the nation in 3-point field goals made with 62, and Borenstein makes her long range shots with efficiency as well, placing fifth in the country in 3-point field goal percentage (47.7%). Not surprisingly, she averages 13.4 points per game, almost entirely off 3-pointers. However, that figures doesn't lead the squad, as Chloe Hayter has that title, averaging 14.9 ppg. Guard Erin O'Brien also chips in double-digits at 10.9 ppg while ranking second in the conference in assists at 4.5 apg.
Clarkson will combat the two high-scoring offenses with its league-leading defensive effort. The Knights lead the league in points per game allowed (57.0 ppg) and are second in turnover-margin, forcing 2.4 more miscues than they commit on average. Junior Cara Manfredi (Glastonbury, CT) is third in the conference in scoring at 16.4 points per game, and sophoore Ashley Loggins (Albany, NY) ranks in the top 10 in both scoring (14.1 ppg) and rebounding (8.2 rpg).
