CU Women's Basketball Preview - vs. Hamilton College (1/26)

Women's Basketball 1/25/2016 12:05:00 PM January 25, 2016

CU Women's Basketball Preview - vs. Hamilton College (1/26)

Only one game separates the Clarkson University Women's Basketball team from the home stretch in the Liberty League, and that final non-league contest will be played on Tuesday evening when the Golden Knights take on Hamilton College at Alumni Gymnasium.

The Golden Knights, 12-4 overall and 6-2 in the Liberty League, have won seven straight games and are just a single victory from clinching their second consecutive winning season. Hamilton enters the game with a record of 6-11 overall and 1-4 in the NESCAC.

Clarkson has utilized stifling full-court pressure this season and that strategy has certainly paid dividends. The Golden Knights rank in the top 20 nationally in steals per game (13.75 spg) and are also in the top 35 in turnover margin (+6.13), both figures that are easily atop the leaderboards in the Liberty League. Senior Ashley Loggins is looking to lead the conference in steals for the second straight season and is averaging close to a steal per game more than her impressive figure of last year. The forward ranks fifth in the conference in scoring (16.1 ppg), second in rebounding (10.1 rpg) and is first in steals (4.1 spg), which ranks in the top 10 nationally. Loggins is also chipping away at a couple of career milestones as she is within 60 rebounds of tying the all-time Clarkson mark and 138 points short of the all-time scoring tally. Sophomore Devin Sorell is one spot behind Loggins on the Liberty League scoring chart, ranking sixth with 15.8 points per game to go along with a league-leading 44 3-pointers. Her classmate Madison Shea has also produced a solid all-around season so far with 9.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.6 steals per game, and junior Stephanie Grobe nearly mirrors those numbers with 9.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.

Hamilton lost all three of its previous meetings against Liberty League teams this year, averaging a nine-point defeat against RIT, Skidmore, and Union, with all three contests occuring at home. The Continentals are 32-18 all-time against the Knights, but lost last year's game in Clinton, NY by a 70-66 score. Sam Graber ranks either first or second in virtually every category for Hamilton, averaging 16.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.4 blocks and 2.1 steals per game, as well as shooting 42.3% from the field. Graber is the only Continental in double figures for a scoring average, though Lauren Getman is recording averages of 8.6 points and 7.5 boards per game thus far. Carly Gruenberg and Halie Serbent average 7.9 and 7.5 points per game, respectively, while Kendall Rallins runs the offense to the tune of 3.8 assists per game while chipping in 5.7 points per contest.

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Players Mentioned

#21 Stephanie Grobe: G; 5' 10"; Junior

#11 Ashley Loggins: F; 5' 10"; Senior

#10 Madison Shea: G; 5' 6"; Sophomore

#24 Devin Sorell: G; 5' 3"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#21 Stephanie Grobe
: 5' 10"; Junior
: G

#11 Ashley Loggins
: 5' 10"; Senior
: F

#10 Madison Shea
: 5' 6"; Sophomore
: G

#24 Devin Sorell
: 5' 3"; Sophomore
: G