NORTHAMPTON - Jessie Ruffner (Rocklin, Calif./Rocklin) recorded her 1000th career point during the Smith basketball team's 76-68 victory over Williams College on Wednesday evening at Ainsworth Gymnasium. With the win, the Pioneers continue their 42-game home win streak dating back to 2020. 

Ruffner, who played the entire 40 minutes, had a strong game with 15 points, going 7-of-10 from the field, along with a career-high 15 rebounds. The senior guard used a jumper at the 6:12 mark of the second quarter to reach the 1,000 point mark. 

Smith, who is ranked No. 9 in the latest Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Top 25 Coaches Poll, improves to 6-1 on the year. Williams dips to 6-3 overall. 

Inside the Numbers

• Graduate student Sofia Rosa (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury) produced a career-high 25 points and added 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the year
• Senior guard Ally Yamada (Seal Beach, CA/Fairmont Prep Academy) added a season-best 20 points and knocked down four from long distance to move to second in career three-pointers
• Arianna Gerig scored a career-high and program-record 43 points on 17-of-19 shooting for the Ephs
• Smith shot 47% (31-of-66) from the field, 31.6% (6-of-19) from three and 66.7% (8-of-12) from the free throw line
• Williams went 39.4% (26-of-66) from the floor, 31.3% (5-of-16) from long distance and 78.6% (11-of-14) from the free throw line
• The Pioneers owned advantages in rebounding (41-28), points in the paint (42-36), and second chance points (14-4)

Game Highlights

• Over the first 10 minutes, neither team led by more than three points as Williams stayed ahead until Selam Maher (Hopkins, MN/St. Louis Park) knocked down a three-pointer with 1:43 on the clock to give Smith its first lead of the game. Gerig responded with a trey of her own as the Ephs ended the quarter on a 5-0 run to hold a 19-6 advantage after the first.
• After a layup by Gerig just over a minute into the period, Smith generated a 6-0 run with baskets from Ruffner, Rosa and Ella Sylvester (Everett, WA/Everett) to make it a 24-21 edge for the Pioneers. Smith continued to extend the lead and went into halftime on top, 37-32
• Rosa started the third with a three-point play and the Pioneers controlled the pace of the game, going ahead 54-36 with 3:58 left in the period. Williams closed out the quarter on a 10-2 run, making it 56-46 going into the final frame.
• Rosa began the fourth with six-straight points before Gerig scored seven of her own, cutting the Smith lead to 62-53 at the 6:50 mark. A layup by Yamada made it a 17-point game with 1:56 left but Williams ended the game on a 9-0 run for the 76-68 final.

Up Next
Smith wraps up the first semester with a road game at Brooklyn College on Saturday, December 9 at 2:00pm. 

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 and Instagram.