Box Score GAME INFORMATION: Babson 76 Smith 72
RECORDS: Babson (16-4, 10-1) Smith (13-6, 5-5)
LOCATION: Babson Park, Mass.
SMITH STARTERS: Guest-Pritchett (F), Marquez (G), Hanley (G), Alakai (F), Castro (G)
BABSON STARTERS: Russell (F), LeGacy (F), Narlee (F), Pickering (G), Lane (G)

Junior forward Samantha Alakai (Pukalani, Hawaii/Punahou School) scored 12 points in the final 1:03 including three from behind-the-arc but it was not enough as Babson College rallied past Smith College, 76-72, in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) basketball action Saturday afternoon.

SMITH HIGHLIGHTS

• Alakai finished with a career-high 26 points, including 5-of-6 from three-point range, five rebounds, three blocks and two assists.
• Sophomore Kennedy Guest-Pritchett (Fairburn, Ga./The Lawrenceville School) added 16 points and pulled down a game-high 19 rebounds, including 12 on the offensive end.
• Sophomore guard Erin Hanley (San Francisco, Calif./St. Ignatius College Prepatory) finished with 10 points, eight rebounds.
   

BABSON HIGHLIGHTS

• Senior Giovanna Pickering scored 17 of her 26 points in the fourth quarter to go along with five rebounds, three assists and two steals.
• Junior Brenna LeGacy finished with 16 points, eight boards, and three assists. 
• Senior Jennifer Narlee pulled down a team-high 11 boards in addition to recording three steals and blocking three shots in the win.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Smith opened the game with a 16-1 run and matched its biggest lead of the game at 31-16 on a hoop by senior Mandy Castro (San Diego, Calif./Poway) (San Diego, Calif.) with 3:05 to go in the second quarter. The Green and White closed within 33-22 at halftime and then ripped off a 17-6 spurt over the first 6:24 of the third quarter to tie the game at 39-39.
 
Tomassini gave the Beavers their first lead of the game on a three-pointer with 1:47 to go in the third, and the hosts scored the first 10 points of the fourth quarter to extend its advantage to 55-43 with 5:48 to play in regulation after a free throw by Russell. Four straight points from LeGacy gave Babson its biggest lead of the contest at 61-47 with 3:49 remaining, and the margin was 11 with under two minutes to play before the Pioneers mounted a furious rally.
 
Alakai converted a layup with 1:03 left to cut the deficit to 67-60 and then followed a jumper by junior Meghan Holland (Atherton, Calif./Sacred Heart Prepatory) (Atherton, Calif.) with three consecutive three-pointers to slice the Beavers' lead to 72-71 with 19 seconds to go. The Green and White, which went 12-of-16 from the charity stripe over the final 1:38, used four free throws from Pickering and Lane over the final 17 seconds to seal the win.  

BY THE NUMBERS
Smith shot 37 percent on the afternoon and finished with a 50-47 edge on the glass. The Pioneers also outscored the Green and White 40-28 in the paint.The Beavers shot 44 percent in the second half and 34.7 percent for the game, while outscoring the Pioneers 22-6 at the free throw line.

UP NEXT
The Pioneers return to action Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. for a rematch with Springfield College.

(Portions of this recap courtesy to Babson Athletics)