The St. Lawrence University women's basketball team held off a late Hartford rally to win its season opener 67-63 on Saturday evening in their first game of the Smith College Tyler Tip-Off Tournament.
Mia Tartaglia's fast-break layup with one second remaining sealed the win after the Hawks had pulled within a point in the final minute, and had two chances to tie the game on their last possession.
The game was the first of the season for both teams. The Saints improve to 1-0, while Hartford falls to 0-1.
Hartford controlled the early going. Ava Naszimento and Taryn Blevins combined for the Hawks' first nine points, and the Saints trailed 12-6 with just over three minutes left in the first quarter.
Josie Cancro's three-pointer with two remaining trimmed the margin, and Hartford led 13-11 after one.
Norah Niesz tied the game at 13-13 on a fast-break just seconds into the second quarter, but Hartford pushed back in front and built a 24-18 lead.
Alexis Mackenzie and Cancro answered with back-to-back threes to tie it at 24-24, and Lily Soller's three-pointer with four seconds left sent Hartford to the locker room up 27-24. Cancro finished the half 2-2 from the arc.
The Saints took control in the third quarter, outscoring Hartford 23-15.
Annie Perry's three-pointer on the opening possession tied the game at 27-27, and
Elizabeth Flynn's free throws pulled the Scarlet and Brown ahead for the first time of the night at 30-29. Tartaglia added two layups and Niesz hit a three-pointer to stretch the margin to 39-35, and the Saints led 47-42 entering the fourth.
Tartaglia's three-pointer with nine remaining pushed the lead to 50-45, but Hartford tied the game at 50-50 and went ahead 52-51 with 6:55 to play. The Saints responded with a 10-0 run, capped by back-to-back threes from Perry, to lead 58-52. Two Flynn layups stretched the margin to 62-55, the largest of the game for either team.
Hartford went to the free throw line repeatedly down the stretch, however, and Naszimento's foul shot with 24 seconds left made it 64-63. Tartaglia made one of two free throws to restore a two-point edge, Hartford missed a pair of free throws with one second remaining, and Tartaglia finished it with a layup off a Flynn assist.
Flynn led the Saints with 17 points and nine rebounds, shooting seven of 14 from the floor. Tartaglia scored 12 points off the bench in her first collegiate game, going 4-for-5 from the field Perry added 11 points with three from the arc.
Emily Wendt grabbed seven rebounds with three assists. As a team, St. Lawrence made nine three-pointers to Hartford's one.
The Saints now return to action at 4 p.m. Sunday in the Tyler Tip-Off championship game against the hosts, No. 5 ranked Smith.
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