Box Score NORTON, Mass.--Rosa Drummond (Rye, N.H./Portsmouth) scored 16 points as the Smith College basketball team won its sixth consecutive game with a 56-40 triumph over Wheaton College in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action on Saturday.  It was the 50th win at Smith for head coach Lynn Hersey.

The win improves Smith's record to 6-0, 2-0 NEWMAC, equalling the Pioneers' best start to the season for 16 years.  Wheaton falls to 2-4, and 1-1 in NEWMAC play.

Smith opened the second half of a 23-4 run to blow open a game that was tied at the half.  Smith struggled in the first half, connecting on just nine of 31 attempts (29.3%), but came out in the second half on fire, making 11 of 21 shots from the floor, and shooting 10-of-13 from the free throw line.

Back-to-back threes from Nicole Cullinane and Melissa McLaughlin put Wheaton up 14-7 at the 11:33 mark of the first half, but an 11-5 Smith run over the next eight minutes, culminating with a layup from Lizzy BelBruno (Hanover, N.H./Hanover) cut the deficit to one.  McLaughlin's layup restored a three point advantage for the Lyons, but five straight points by Paulina Solis (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) put Smith up 23-21 before Gabbie DePalo hit to free throws to send the teams into the locker room tied at 23.

The Pioneers came storming out of the gates, as Drummond nailed a three and a layup to give Smith a 28-25 advantage, followed by two free throws apiece by Devon Quattrocchi (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) and Ellie Giles (Charlottesville, Va./St. Annes Belfield) that upped the Smith lead to seven points.

Solis picked Jeana Trimboli's pocket and fed Maddie Page (Arvada, Colo./Jefferson Acad.) for a fastbreak layup that gave Smith a 42-27 lead.  Smith had their biggest lead at 54-30 on Drummond's fastbreak bucket with 5:19 to go. 

Drummond, who has led Smith in scoring in four of their six games so far, also pulled down a team high seven rebounds.  BelBruno, Page, and Solis each chipped in 10 points for Smith.  McLaughlin led Wheaton with seven points.

The Lyons return to action on Tuesday when they host WPI at 7 p.m. The Pioneers host Springfield Tuesday at 7 p.m.


Parts of this story courtesy Wheaton College Sports Information