BRUNSWICK, ME - The Smith College basketball team claimed the Coastal Classic with a come-from-behind 59-54 win over Bowdoin College Saturday afternoon at Morrell Gymnasium. Morgan Morrison (Detroit, Mich./Detroit Country Day) was named the Classic MVP and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by teammate Jessie Ruffner (Rocklin, Calif./Rocklin). 

The Pioneers, who are ranked No. 7 in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll, improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2019, while the Polar Bears fall to 3-1. 

Highlights

• The first half belonged to the hosts as Bowdoin held Smith to 27% shooting and forced 13 turnovers to go into halftime with a 32-21 lead
• Smith came out of the break on fire, shooting 61% from the field and outscoring Bowdoin 19-11 in the frame
• The Pioneers were able to come within three as Amelia Clairmont (Laconia, N.H./New Hampton School) knocked down a jumper with 30 seconds on the clock to make it a 43-40 game heading into the final quarter
• Bowdoin opened up a 48-40 lead with a quick 5-0 spurt to start the fourth period, but Smith chipped away and Morrison's free throw at 3:26 tied the game at 52-52 
• Megan Tan hit a layup to regain the lead for the Polar Bears with 2:16 to go, however Smith would close out the game on a 7-0 run and hold on for the 59-54 final

Inside the Numbers

• Morrison went 6-of-8 from the field to finish with 13 points and eight rebounds
• Jessie Ruffner (Rocklin, Calif./Rocklin) scored a game-high 17 points with eight boards and four assists
• Dashelle Gleissner (Los Angeles, Calif./Serra) totaled six points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals
• First-year Selam Maher dropped a career-high 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting
• Smith led the way in rebounds (37-31) and points in the paint (24-22)
• The Pioneers shot 44.9% (22-of-49) from the floor, 44.4% (8-of-18) from three-point range, and 70% (7-of-10) from the free throw line
• The Polar Bears shot 35.5% (22-of-62) from the field, 30.4% (7-of-23) from behind the arc, and 75%( 3-of-4) at the free-throw line

Up Next
Smith returns to the court for a road game at Trinity on Sunday, November 27 at 3:00pm. 

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.