Box Score Coach Hersey's postgame comments

NORTHAMPTON, Mass.--The Smith College basketball team shook off history on Saturday afternoon, beating Wheaton College 56-48 to defeat the Lyons for the first time since the 2006 season thanks to 17 points from Rosa Drummond (Rye, N.H./Portsmouth).

Wheaton (10-13, 7-9 NEWMAC) had proved something of a bogey team for the Pioneers (13-9, 10-6 NEWMAC), having defeated Smith seven consecutive times, including a trio of victories in the 2009-10 season.  But Smith used a 16-2 run to open the second half to snap the skid, and in so doing, win their fourth consecutive game, as well as to earn a home NEWMAC tournament game for the first time since the 1997-98 season. 

The opening five minutes featured four lead changes and three ties in a nip-and-tuck first half.  Nicole Cullinane gave Wheaton a 9-7 lead four minutes in, but Smith reeled off six consecutive points for a 13-9 lead.  Rosa Drummond (Rye, N.H./Portsmouth) sandwiched two baskets around an 18 foot jumper from Jessica Welk (Arlington, Wash./Arlington), and after the Lyons cut the gap to 13-11, Marissa Munoz-Ruiz (Fairfield, Calif./Justin-Siena) knifed through the lane to score and Ashani Petrizzi (Deerfield, Mass./Greenfield)'s jumper rattled around the rim before dropping through to reclaim the six point advantage.

The Lyons tied the game at 19 on Jeana Trimboli's jumper with 2:15 left in the half, only to see Amanda Zakoske (Jacksonville, Fla./The Bolles School) score Smith's final four points of the stanza to take a 23-21 lead into the break. 

Smith came out on fire in the second half, scoring nine straight points to open up a 32-21 lead.  Lizzy BelBruno (Hanover, N.H./Hanover), making her first appearance since January 29, knocked down a three pointer from the left side, and when Zakoske put back a miss of an Ellie Giles (Charlottesville, Va./St. Annes Belfield) shot, Smith had an 11 point lead with just over five minutes left in the game.  Gabbie DePalo's layup stopped the bleeding temporarily for Wheaton, but Smith went on another tear, starting with five consecutive points from Drummond and finishing with two foul shots from Giles for the Pioneers' biggest lead of the game at 39-23. 

Wheaton would hang around, getting the lead back down to 11 on Jana Jagodzinski's hoop with 8:51 to play, and continued to chip away, pulling within seven points on a conventional three point play from DePalo at the 6:15 mark.  DePalo wrapped two more baskets around a lacup from Lauren McClelland and two foul shots from Jagodzinski that cut the lead to one with 2:36 to play, but Zakoske made two critical plays to save the lead.  First, she found Devon Quattrocchi (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) for a jumper from just inside the three point line that put Smith back up by three, then picked Trimboli's pocket and set up BelBruno for a fast break layup that restored a 53-48 lead for Smith.  Two free throws from Drummond and another from Zakoske then salted away the win.

Drummond's 17 points came on an efficient 7-for-11 shooting from the floor, while Zakoske tossed in 13 points, three assists, two steals, and a blocked shot.  Giles led the Pioneers on the glass with nine rebounds.  DePalo was the only Wheaton player in double-figures, pouring in 17 points and grabbing nine rebounds. 

Before the game, senior Jessica Welk (Arlington, Wash./Arlington) was honored for her four year contributions to the program.  Smith will now conclude their regular season with trips to Springfield on Wednesday, February 16 at 5:30 p.m. and MIT on Saturday, February 19 at 2 p.m.  Wheaton will play Wellesley in a game that could decide a NEWMAC tournament berth on February 16, at 7 p.m.