NORTHAMPTON, Mass. - Head coach Lynn Hersey became the program's all-time leader in wins with 189 as the Smith College basketball team defeated Wellesley College, 75-38, in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday night at Ainsworth Gymnasium.

With its 11th straight victory, Smith (21-5) advances to the conference semifinals for the third consecutive season. Wellesley, which was making its first NEWMAC Championship appearance since 2013, ends the year at 8-15 overall.

SMITH HIGHLIGHTS

• Lauren Bondi (Burnaby, BC, Can./Notre Dame Secondary) finished with 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting from long distance. 
• Kennedy Guest-Pritchett (Fairburn, Ga./The Lawrenceville School) recorded her 12th double-double of the year with 17 points and 11 boards.
• Katelyn Pickunka (Westhampton, Mass./Hampshire) chipped in with nine points and five rebounds off the bench.

WELLESLEY HIGHLIGHTS

• Zojajha Ayub scored 13 points with five boards and one steal.
• Valentina Morakis and Emily Kopp each contributed five points.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Bondi lit it up in the first quarter, finishing with nine points on 3-of-5 shooting from long distance. Smith built a 10-point lead on a trey from Sydney Koh (Seattle, Wash./Lakeside) at the 4:27 mark but Wellesley chipped away and narrowed the margin to five points, 19-14, at the end of the first quarter.

After a three-pointer from Wellesley's Emily Kopp at the 7:48 mark, the Smith defense stifled the Blue offense to end the quarter on an 18-0 run to go into halftime up 41-17.

Wellesley opened the third quarter on back-to-back layups from Aguirre and Morakis but Smith responded with a 14-0 run over the next 5:36 to make it 55-21 with just under four minutes left in the period. Smith's Emma Seymour (Seattle, Wash./Roosevelt) knocked down a three-pointer to give the home squad a 63-25 lead going into the fourth.

The Pioneers coasted through the final period to secure the 75-38 victory.

GAME NOTES

• The Pioneers are now 45-27 all-time against Wellesley and have won the last 10 meetings.
• Smith shot 49% from the field and 44% from three-point range, while Wellesley was 32.6% from the field and 50% from behind-the-arc.
• The Pioneers dominated the glass, holding a 44-13 advantage.
• Coach Hersey surpasses James Babyak who coached the Pioneers for 16 years from 1985-1997.

UP NEXT
Smith returns to action on Thursday when it hosts third-seeded Springfield in a 7:00 p.m. semifinal.



About Smith Athletics: Smith College is an 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.