WORCESTER - A final three-point attempt for WPI was off the mark as the Smith College basketball team held on for a 67-64 overtime win in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) tilt Wednesday night in Harrington Auditorium. 

The Pioneers, ranked No. 5 in the latest D3Hoops.com and WBCA Top 25 Poll, improve to 15-1 overall and 2-0 in the NEWMAC. 

Game Highlights

• Smith built an 11-0 lead and the defense held the Engineers scoreless for over six minutes to start the game. A WPI jumper at 3:42 sparked an 8-0 run before Jessie Ruffner's (Rocklin, Calif./Rocklin) bucket put Smith up 15-10 at the break
• The Pioneers ended the second frame on a 5-0 run over the final 1:25 to make it 31-25 at the break
• A Morrison layup with 5:40 on the clock put Smith ahead 44-36 but nine unanswered by the hosts gave them their first lead of the game, 45-44 with 2:08 left in the frame. The Pioneers closed the quarter with six-straight points to lead 50-45 after three
• The Engineers wasted no time in the fourth, tying the game at 50-50 with a three with 6:25 to play. Loo countered with a three for Smith to put the Pioneers back on top, sparking a 10-3 surge that gave the visitors a 60-53 lead with 3:01 left. WPI answered once more, scoring seven unanswered points, including a game-tying lay-up from Cristiano with 19 seconds in regulation. Smith had a chance to win it on its final possession, but a blocked a shot at the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.
• In the extra session, Smith took a 63-60 lead, but WPI cut it to one point on a Lisa Cristiano layup with 2:48 left in the period. Jane Loo (Saratoga, CA/Saratoga) went 4-for-4 from the free throw line down the stretch to give Smith a 67-62 edge, however free throws by Melanie Presseau and a defensive stop by the Engineers allowed them the game-tying chance with 10 seconds on the clock

By the Numbers

• Jessie Ruffner (Rocklin, Calif./Rocklin) led all players with 20 points, adding five rebounds
• Morgan Morrison (Detroit, Mich./Detroit Country Day) had 13 points and eight boards, while Katelyn Pickunka (Westhampton, Mass./Hampshire) scored 12 points and grabbed nine boards
• Jane Loo (Saratoga, CA/Saratoga) wrapped up the double-digit scorers for the Pioneers with 11, while Dashelle Gleissner (Los Angeles, Calif./Serra) had six points and seven rebounds
• WPI finished with a 45.8% to 37.1% shooting advantage, but Smith posted a 40-33 advantage on the glass.
   

Up Next
Smith continues its NEWMAC slate Saturday at 2:00pm at Clark University. 

(Portions of this recap courtesy to WPI 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.