CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The Smith College basketball team put together a 17-4 run late in the third quarter and held off MIT's comeback attempt to record a 77-69 victory in NEWMAC women's basketball action. Both squads had four players reach double digits in scoring as Jessie Ruffner (Rocklin, Calif./Rocklin) finished with 22 points for the Pioneers. With the win, Smith improves to 10-1 on the year and 1-0 in the conference play.

How it Happened

• The opening quarter was a back-and-forth affair as there were six ties and six lead changes. Two free throws by Ally Yamada (Seal Beach, Calif./Fairmont Prep Academy) with seconds left gave Smith a 26-24 edge.
• MIT opened the second quarter with a 10-2 run as a three-pointer by Christina Antonakakis gave the hosts a 34-28 lead midway through the frame. The Pioneers replied with an 8-2 burst as Ruffner's layup tied the game at 36 with 1:33 on the clock. Two free throws from Antonakakis coupled with a trey by Sarah Berman gave the Engineers some breathing room. However, Ruffner drained a layup with eight seconds to go, making the score 41-38 at halftime.
• MIT maintained its small cushion as a put-back from Kylie Gallagher resulted in a 49-44 lead at the 4:54 mark of the third quarter. After an exchange of possessions, back-to-back buckets by Ruffner ignited Smith's game-changing 17-4 run. Ruffner accounted for eight points, including the first six, in helping the Pioneers build a 61-53 advantage heading into the final frame.
• The Engineers chipped away at the deficit as two free throws from Antonakakis narrowed the gap to 69-66 with 2:20 remaining in regulation. Smith replied with baskets by Yamada and Morgan Morrison (Detroit, Mich./Detroit Country Day) during the next minute and then Dashelle Gleissner (Los Angeles, Calif./Serra) sank a free throw with 57 seconds left. MIT countered with a three-pointer by Antonakakis moments later, however, the Pioneers went 3-of-4 at the charity stripe to secure the victory.

 Inside the Numbers

• Morrison finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds for her third double-double of the year as Amelia Clairmont (Laconia, N.H./New Hampton School) notched 11 points and three steals
• Yamada contributed 10 points while Elle Jo Whalen (Woodinville, Wash./Woodinville) grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds
• Gleissner tacked on five assists and two blocks
• Smith led the way in rebounds (44-33), points in the paint (56-20), points off turnovers (22-9), second-chance points (21-11), and bench scoring (26-17)
• The Engineers shot 43.6 percent (24-of-55) from the floor, 41.2 percent (7-of-17) from three-point range, and 77.8 percent (14-of-18) from the free throw line.
• The Pioneers shot 43.1 percent (31-of-72) from the floor, 7.7 percent (1-of-13) from behind the arc, and 58.3 percent (14-of-24) at the charity stripe.

Up Next
Smith will host WPI Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.

(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.