NORTHAMPTON, Mass.--A crucial stretch of three road games in six days for the Smith College basketball team (10-1, 5-0 NEWMAC) begins with a trip to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (6-5, 2-3 NEWMAC) on Tuesday night.  Smith won both meetings between the schools last season, and has won 25 of the 36 total meetings between the schools.


Last Meeting:  Ellie Giles tallied 10 points, eight rebounds, four steals, two assists, and two blocks for the Pioneers in a 61-36 win on January 21, 2013.  A 21-4 first half run pushed Smith to a 40-19 halftime advantage, and Smith never looked back.  
 
Smith Overview:  The Pioneers have won eight consecutive games, including an 82-73 overtime win over Wellesley on Saturday afternoon.  Rosa Drummond (Rye, N.H./Portsmouth) scored a season high 26 points, as Smith scored nearly as many points in overtime (19) as they did in all of the second half (25).

MIT Overview: MIT had a three game winning streak snapped with a 49-45 home loss to Clark University on January 5.  MIT led 25-20 at halftime, but a 12-2 Clark run put the Cougars in front for good.  

Smith Player to Watch: Paulina Solis (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) has started to combine her scoring with setting up teammates, averaging 6.5 assists over the last two games.

MIT Player to Watch: Freshman Maya Ramachandran is averaging 10.5 rebounds per game, and has hit double digits in rebounds five times this season.  Her season high is 19, in the season opener against Salem State.

Did you know? Smith can set a new school mark for consecutive wins with a victory tonight.  The Pioneers won eight straight games in the 1989-90 and 2010-11 seasons.