Box Score SOUTH HADLEY, Mass.--Paulina Solis (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) scored 17 points as the Smith College basketball team opened New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play with a 71-50 win over Mount Holyoke College on Wednesday night.  Smith is now now 3-1 overall, and 1-0 in the NEWMAC, while Mount Holyoke dips to 1-3, and 0-1 in NEWMAC play.  Smith has defeated Mount Holyoke seven straight times.

The Pioneers raced out to a quick 6-0 lead, as Amanda Zakoske (Jacksonville, Fla./The Bolles School) sandwiched a jumper and a pair of free throws around a basket from Rosa Drummond (Rye, N.H./Portsmouth).  Smith pushed the advantage out to 14-5 when Zakoske fed Solis for a layup, and Drummond's jumper with 10:42 left in the first half gave the Pioneers their biggest lead of the opening period at 19-7. 

Mount Holyoke pushed back, outscoring Smith 21-11 over the remainder of the first half.  A three point basket by Kate Karraker and a layup by Genelle Green got MHC within 23-15, and the Lyons went on a 12-3 run from that point, capped by a three point play from Amber Legare that gave Mount Holyoke a 27-26 lead, but Smith took a 30-28 lead at halftime on Alyssa Barrett (Berlin, Conn./Berlin)'s free throw with no time left on the clock.

Smith came out hot in the second half, with Zakoske again the catalyst.  The senior fed fellow co-captain Devon Quattrocchi (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) for a layup that snapped a 30-30 tie, and coverted a three point play that upped Smith's lead to 35-30.  Two free throws from Quattrocchi gave Smith a 43-32 lead, and the Pioneers took their biggest advantage at 71-49 on on a steal and layup from Zakoske with 2:03 to play. 

Solis led all scorers with 17 points, tying a career high, knocking down 6-of-12 shots from the floor; she was joined in double-figures by Quattrocchi, who finished with 12 points, and Drummond, who added 11.  Quattrocchi and Drummond both had a team high six rebounds.  Zakoske finished with a fine all-around game, with nine points, five rebounds, three steals, and two blocked shots. 

Smith limited Mount Holyoke's Amber Legare to six points, nine below her average, while also stifling the Lyons' Angelica Pascual, who shot 4-for-22, including 0-for-8 from three point range.  Karraker led MHC with 15 points. 

Smith will play host to Wheaton College on Saturday at 2 p.m. in another NEWMAC contest, while Mount Holyoke will travel to No. 22 Babson Colege for a 1 p.m. tip-off.