Box Score NORTHAMPTON, Mass.--The Smith College basketball team dominated the glass en route to a 58-43 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference win over the U.S. Coast Guard Academy on Saturday afternoon.  

Ashani Petrizzi (Deerfield, Mass./Greenfield), making her first career start, tied her career high with 10 boards, while Ellie Giles (Charlottesville, Va./St. Annes Belfield) grabbed 11 rebounds, the second most by a Smith player in a game this season as the Pioneers (11-9, 8-6 NEWMAC) outrebounded the Bears (2-17, 0-13 NEWMAC) 41-23, including a 22-4 effort on the offensive end.

It was all Smith in the early going, as the Pioneers jumped out to a quick 9-3 lead on Amanda Zakoske (Jacksonville, Fla./The Bolles School)'s short range jumper with 15:06 left in the first half.  Smith continued to pour it on, extending the advantage out to 20-5 thanks to a three pointer from Jessica Welk (Arlington, Wash./Arlington), followed by Libby Dutton (Deering, N.H./Hillsboro-Deering)'s slashing layup.  The Bears would not go quietly, closing the half with a 12-5 run in the final 6:07.  Ashley Elizondo hit a pair of free throws to get the Bears within 22-10, and Kaitlin Ward hit a three and a jumper on consecutive possesions that cut the lead to 25-17 at halftime. 

Coast Guard continued to chip away in the second half, getting a basket from Ward that trimmed the deficit to 31-24 with 17:11 to play, and though Smith went back up by 11 on Giles' basket with 12:30 remaining, Coast Guard pulled within eight (41-33) at the 9:13 mark when Ward set up Larla Brown for a jumper.  That kick-started a 10-5 Coast Guard spurt that was capped when Allison Majcher's layup cut the Smith lead to 46-43 with 5:45 left in the game. 

After a Coast Guard timeout, Rosa Drummond (Rye, N.H./Portsmouth) boosted the lead back to six with a conventional three point play, and Smith limited the Bears to five points down the stretch.  Meanwhile, Smith pulled away at the foul line, as Drummond (4-5) and Devon Quattrocchi (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) salted away the victory and Abby Dornbusch (Needham, Mass./Minuteman)'s first career basket set the final margin.

Drummond led all scorers with 15 points, as every Pioneer who got into the game scored.  Brown led Coast Guard with 11 points, and Elizondo tossed in 10.  Smith, which had assists on 13 of their 19 baskets, also got a season high three blocked shots from Giles. 

Smith will continue to improve their NEWMAC standings with a trip to Clark University on Wednesday, February 9 for a 5:30 pm tip-off.  Coast Guard will host Wellesley on Monday, February 7, at 7 p.m.