Led by Dylan Watkiss' eight 3-pointers and career-high 29 points, the St. Lawrence University Saints topped the Hamilton College Continentals 72-68 in overtime at Williams College's Morin Memorial Classic inside Chandler Gym.
The Saints' Katie Frederick added 10 points and 16 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season. It looked as if the Continentals (2-2 overall) might hand St. Lawrence its first loss as Hamilton led by as many as 15 points in the third quarter at 36-21. The Saints (5-0), who received votes in the D3hoops.com Top 25 preseason poll, stormed back in the fourth quarter on the strength of seven baskets from beyond the arc.
Kelcie Zarle '22 led the way for Hamilton with 29 points and five assists. Three other Continentals scored in double figures as
Maria Mercado Rengel '24 and
Emma Sehring '23 poured in 11 points and
Tessa Cole '25 added 10. St. Lawrence out-rebounded Hamilton 48-34, but Hamilton stayed in the game by forcing 18 turnovers while only committing six. Hamilton returns to the court on Tuesday, Nov. 23 for a non-conference game at SUNY Cortland.
Watkiss hit four 3-pointers in the final quarter and Stella Davis added a pair from deep. Abby Doin banked in a three as the shot clock wound down and put the Saints up 60-59 with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter. Zarle sank a pair at the free-throw line with 90 seconds remaining and the Continentals went back in front. On Hamilton's next possession,
Claire Sehring '22 got to the line and hit another free throw that extended the lead to two. The Saints tied it up and got a stop on defense to get the ball back with five seconds to go. Following a timeout, the ball made it into Watkiss' hands, but Hamilton forced a fade-away 3-point shot that fell short.
St. Lawrence jumped out to a four-point lead in the first minute of overtime. A 3-pointer by Cole pulled the Continentals within a point at 68-67 with three minutes left and then the teams proceeded to miss their next eight shots. After a Hamilton miss with less than 30 seconds remaining, the Continentals fouled to stop the clock and sent the hot-handed Watkiss to the line. She made one of two and put the Saints up 69-67 with 14 seconds to go.
Zarle came down and was fouled but missed both free throws.
Claire Sehring soared for the offensive rebound and was fouled, so she went back to the line with a chance to tie the score. Sehring hit the first but missed the second, and Hamilton quickly fouled Frederick after she came down with the rebound. Frederick hit the first for a 70-68 advantage but missed the second. Sierra Sanson came down with a crucial offensive rebound and got the ball to Frederick who Hamilton fouled and sent back to the line. This time Frederick hit both free throws and clinched the four-point victory.
