NORTHAMPTON, Mass. - In a crucial New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) matchup between two nationally-ranked teams, the Smith College basketball team picked up a 66-55 victory over Springfield College Wednesday evening at Ainsworth Gymnasium.

Smith entered the game ranked No. 23 in the latest Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) National Coaches Poll and improves to 18-2 on the year and 7-0 in NEWMAC action. Springfield, who came into the game ranked No. 14 in the WBCA poll, drops to 18-3, 4-3.

Inside the Numbers

• Dashelle Gleissner (Los Angeles, Calif./Serra), who tied the single game assist record with 10, added eight points, five steals and four rebounds
• Morgan Morrison (Detroit, Mich./Detroit Country Day), the reigning NEWMAC Offensive Athlete of the Week, posted 15 points and four rebounds off the bench
• Jane Loo (Saratoga, CA/Saratoga) chipped in 13 points, two rebounds and two steals in 16 minutes as a reserve
• Springfield had four players score in double figures led by Sidney Wentland's 15
• Smith shot 48.2 percent (27-of-56) from the floor, 38.5 (5-of-13) percent from three-point range, and 70.0 percent (7-of-10) from the free throw line
• The Pride shot 40.7 percent (22-of-54) from the floor, 35.7 percent (5-of-14) from behind the arc, and 50.0 percent (6-of-12) at the charity stripe

 
How it Happened
After Springfield led off the game with a layup from Rachel Vinton, Smith scored seven straight to go up 7-2 midway through the first. The Pride gained momentum and would tie the game at 12-12 on a three-pointer by Riley Robinson.

The teams exchanged buckets to start the second and Smith would use a 15-3 stretch to go ahead 29-17 with 2:01 on the clock. During the run, five different Smith players scored. Springfield was able to get a steal in the backcourt beat the buzzer on a breakaway layup to make the score 29-21 at the half. 

Smith's lead grew to 15 (42-27) with 3:01 left in the period as Morrison grabbed an offensive rebound and completed a three-point play. The visitors continued to chip away to trim the lead to 10 (47-37) at the end of the quarter.

The Pioneers maintained a comfortable double-digit lead throughout the final period and went on for the 66-55 final.

Up Next
Smith faces a tough road test at Babson (15-5, 6-0) on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

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.