NORTHAMPTON, Mass. - The Smith College basketball team opened the 2019 year with a 67-54 loss to MIT in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action Saturday afternoon at Ainsworth Gymnasium. The Engineers have now won six straight and improve to 9-3 overall and 3-1 in conference play, while the Pioneers drop to 8-4 on the year and 2-3 in league action.

SMITH HIGHLIGHTS

• Katy McClellan (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra Area) led the Pioneers with 15 points and seven rebounds.
• Kennedy Guest-Pritchett (Fairburn, Ga./The Lawrenceville School) recorded her seventh double-double of the year with 14 points, 11 boards, and added four assists.
• Stephanie Foukaris (Nicosia, Cyprus/Pascal English School Nicosia) posted five points, five rebounds, and three blocks, and two assists.

MIT HIGHLIGHTS

• Leading the Engineers was a game-high 18 points from Dolly Yuan, as she also produced two rebounds and two assists.
• Kara Holinski finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, and two steals.
• Jocelyn Luizzi and Kylie Gallagher each registered 11 points.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

- MIT jumped out to an 8-3 lead after a layup by senior Kara Holinski but Smith battled back, tying the game twice, the second time on a layup late in the quarter to make the score 15-15.

- Senior Taylor V'Dovec converted a three-point play 10 seconds into the second stanza, kicking off an 8-2 spurt during the next three minutes. The Pioneers replied with a 9-1 run, resulting in a 26-24 lead at the 2:34 mark. A three-pointer by first-year Christina Antonakakis put the Engineers back in front as a jumper from Holinski created some breathing room. Smith quickly drained a layup to come within one (29-28); however, Holinski knocked down another jumper to give MIT a small cushion at halftime.

- The Engineers' lead grew to 35-28 courtesy of two Yuan free throws and a layup. The Pioneers narrowed the gap to two (35-33) with 5:53 on the clock, but MIT put together a 12-4 run that spanned almost five minutes. A jumper by the hosts with 51 seconds remaining brought them within 47-39 heading into the final frame.

- A layup by MIT reestablished the visitors' double-digit lead after 1:21 elapsed and then two more Yuan free throws increased the score to 51-39 at the 6:08 mark. An exchange of baskets followed as a three-pointer by Smith trimmed the deficit to 55-47 with 2:53 left to play. Yuan was fouled during the Engineers' next possession, kicking off their game-ending 12-of-14 performance at the free throw line.

GAME NOTES

• MIT shot 20-for-48 (41.7%) in the victory and owned a 31-29 edge on the glass.
• The Engineers were an impressive 24-of-28 from the free-throw line.
• The Pioneers shot 21-for-56 (40.4%) from the field and 6-for-17 (35.3%) from three-point range.
• The Engineers improve to 18-31 all-time against Smith.
• The MIT defense limited Lauren Bondi (Burnaby, BC, Can./Notre Dame Secondary), who leads the NEWMAC in scoring, to just seven points.

UP NEXT
Smith College will next hit the hardwood on Tuesday, January 8 when it travels to WPI for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off.

(Portions of this recap courtesy to MIT Athletics)

About Smith Athletics: Smith College is a NCAA Division III member of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference that sponsors 11 intercollegiate sports. For more information log on to smithpioneers.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.