The St. Lawrence University men's basketball team came up with a defensive gem against one of their toughest opponents of the season Saturday afternoon. They took a 72-47 win over Ithaca, improving their record to 5-2 in the Liberty League.

The win comes after Ithaca, a team with a 4-2 conference record, put up over 100 points in their previous two games, including 109 points in a victory against Clarkson and 102 as they beat Hobart. They hadn't scored fewer than 71 points in any game this season.

"Our defense was excited at the challenge of facing one of the best offensive teams in the league, and they executed very well on our side of the court," said Chris Downs, the Saints' head coach. "We'll get back to work Monday. While we're happy with the result, it's a long season."

Ithaca drained a three-ball for the game's first points, but from that point on it was all St. Lawrence in the first stanza. They took the lead on a Gavin Macaulay three-pointer at 14:38 of the half.
The Scarlet and Brown slowly stretched out their lead over the course of the half, coming up with a response for each of Ithaca's offensive bursts. Ultimately, the Saints entered the second half with a lead of 30-18.

While the Saints' team defense performance well in the first half, that pace continued in the second. They out rebounded the Bombers 23-7 in the second half, posting 18 defensive boards. They held their lead through the entire period and stretched it out to 25 with just over two minutes left – a margin of victory that would hold until the final buzzer.



Team captain Trey Syroka had the St. Lawrence team lead in points for the first time this season. The defensive specialist checked in with 19 points on the day, while Adam Dudzinski posted a double double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

The Saints will continue their lengthy homestand next weekend, when they host Hobart and RIT on Friday, Jan. 19 and Saturday, Jan. 20 respectively.