Box Score NORTON, Mass.--Rosa Drummond (Rye, N.H./Portsmouth)'s 16 points were not enough as the Smith College basketball team fell to Wheaton College (Mass.) 62-54 in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference action on Monday night.


The Pioneers (9-7, 6-4 NEWMAC) forced 21 turnovers, and limited Wheaton's top scorer, Jeana Trimboli to just five points, but struggled from the floor, shooting 19-for-61 from the field (31.1 %), and just 3-of-17 from behind the arc. 


The contest was neck and neck in the opening minutes, featuring five ties in the in the first 10 minutes.  With the game tied at 13, Wheaton went on an 8-2 run, powered by three pointers from Laura Pierce and Gabby Barbera.  Smith countered with five straight points from Drummond to put the Pioneers back in front, 23-22, but Wheaton limited Smith to Libby Dutton (Deering, N.H./Hillsboro-Deering)'s jumper with 2:30 to play as their only points in the final five   minutes of the second half, while Wheaton scored the final six points of the half to take a 29-24 lead into the break.

Smith went to work in the second half, cutting the deficit to two points on a conventional three point play from Drummond at the 15:43 mark, who then fed Sydney Parkmond (Waterbury, Conn./Chase Collegiate) for a basket on the next possesion that tied the score at 35.  Wheaton countered with a 7-0 capped by a three pointer from Nicole Cullinane to take a 42-35 lead, but Smith kept chipping away, as Dutton found Parkmond for a hoop, then Ellie Giles (Charlottesville, Va./St. Annes Belfield)' foul shot with 5:30 remaining made it a 45-44 game.  A pair of foul shots apeice from Cullinane and Gabbie DePalo put Wheaton back up by five, and through Smith pulled within 49-47 on BelBruno's triple, the Pioneers could only hit three of their final 10 shots, and the Lyons drained eight of 12 free throws down the stretch to pull away.

BelBruno tossed in 12 points, in addition to Drummond's 16.  Sydney Parkmond (Waterbury, Conn./Chase Collegiate) also reached double figures with 10 points.  Ashani Petrizzi (Deerfield, Mass./Greenfield) came off the bench to grab a team high six rebounds.  DePalo led Wheaton with 15 points.

Smith will take on WPI next, in the third game of their road swing on Wednesday, January 26 at 7 p.m.  In their earlier matchup this year, WPI overcame 13 points apeice from BelBruno and Amanda Zakoske (Jacksonville, Fla./The Bolles School) in a 58-53 win in the NEWMAC opener for both teams on December 1, 2010.