Box Score NEW LONDON, Conn.-Senior
Sydney Parkmond (Waterbury, Conn./Chase Collegiate) tallied a game-high 16 points and hauled in eight rebounds to lead Smith past Coast Guard in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference women's basketball match-up
on Saturday afternoon. The victory extends Smith's (5-7, 5-4 NEWMAC) winning streak against Coast Guard (10-2, 6-2 NEWMAC) to nine games, dating back to the 2009-10 season.
Seniors Kaitlin Ward and Brittney Zimmerman both notched double-figure scoring games for the Bears but it wasn't enough to overcome shooting just 25.4 percent from the floor (4-19 from beyond the arc).
The Bears had a tough time containing the bigger Pioneers on the glass, being out-rebounded 48-42 on the afternoon. Smith was led on the glass by senior
Rosa Drummond (Rye, N.H./Portsmouth) with 11 boards while Parkmond and senior
Marissa Munoz-Ruiz (Fairfield, Calif./Justin-Siena) each chipped in with eight. The Bears were led on the glass by Ward and sophomore Torie Sutherland who pulled down nine rebounds apiece. Sophomore Meghan Fornaro and junior Dani Knox helped out with eight and seven, respectively.
Smith rallied from an early 7-3 deficit to take a 15-12 lead on
Rosa Drummond (Rye, N.H./Portsmouth)'s jumper with 5:18 left in the first half. Parkmond's jumper with 2:48 to go gave Smith a 21-18 lead, and
Paulina Solis (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) and Kaitlin Ward traded threes in the final minute to send Smith into the locker room up 24-23.
The Pioneers pulled away early in the second half, thanks to
Jade Chihara (Laihana, Hawaii/Laihanaluna)'s steal and fast break basket, and a jumper by
Marissa Munoz-Ruiz (Fairfield, Calif./Justin-Siena).
Lauren Weston (Florence, Mass./Northampton) gave Smith its biggest lead of the game with two foul shots at the 7:42 mark.
Ward totaled a game-high four steals while Fornaro and Zimmerman each added three, with Zimmerman handing out a team-best three assists.
Junior
Paulina Solis (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) and Drummond joined Parkmond in double-digits with 13 and 12, respectively.
Coast Guard returns to action on Wednesday, January 15
th when they host WPI at
7:00 pm at Merriman Gymnasium. Smith, winners of three straight, heads to Trinity College for a non-conference game on Tuesday night.
