Box Score KEENE, N.H.--Down by as many as 16 points, the Smith College basketball team completed a massive comeback to stun top-seeded and host Keene State College to capture their first ECAC New England Championship on Sunday afternoon.

Amanda Zakoske (Jacksonville, Fla./The Bolles School)'s layup broke an early 4-4 tie, and Lizzy BelBruno (Hanover, N.H./Hanover) drained a three on the next Smith possession to put the Pioneers in front, only to see KSC's Courtney Cirillo score on a layup, then feed Sara Laudano for a three that knotted the score at 11.

Another Cirillo basket gave the Owls a 17-15 advantage at the 8:31 mark, and Courtney Roberts' conventional three point play upped the Owls' advantage to 33-20 before Devon Quattrocchi (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) drained a three just ahead of the halftime buzzer to send Smith into the locker room down 35-23.

The Owls continued to fluster Keene, getting baskets from Siobhan Carnell and Cirillo to open up a 39-23 lead early in the second half.  

Paulina Solis (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) kickstarted the Smith rally by sandwiching a three and a layup around a BelBruno hoop. Maddie Page (Arvada, Colo./Jefferson Acad.) and Solis hit threes that cut the lead to one, and Zakoske's layup at the 10:10 mark gave Smith its first lead of the second half.

Two foul shots from Page gave Smith a 49-46 advantage, but Carnell leveled the scores at 50, then gave Keene State the lead back with 7:07 to go on a free throw.

Keene State got another three point play from Roberts to take a 54-52 lead, but Sydney Parkmond (Waterbury, Conn./Chase Collegiate) responded with a layup on the next possession to tie the score, and from there, it was all Smith.  The Pioneers closed the game on an 11-3 run, fueled by a three from Solis from the right wing that gave Smith an insurmountable 61-55 advantage.  Page then drained four free throws in the final 22 seconds to seal the championship.  

Solis led Smith with 15 points off the bench, while Page added 12 points and BelBruno 11.  Playing in her final game for Smith, Ellie Giles (Charlottesville, Va./St. Annes Belfield) had six points, a team high eight rebounds, two assists, and a blocked shot.  BelBruno was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.

The championship was not the only first this season for Smith - the Pioneers also marked 2011-12 with their first 20 win season and a school record 23 wins.