NORTHAMPTON - Ally Yamada's (Seal Beach, Calif./Fairmont Prep Academy) three-pointer as time expired in overtime gave the Smith College basketball team a 68-65 win over Mary Washington in the NCAA Tournament  Sweet 16 Friday evening. In the game, Morgan Morrison (Detroit, Mi/Detroit Country Day) became the 15 player in program history to score her 1,000th career point. 

With the win, No. 4 Smith improves to 29-1 on the year and advances to Saturday's Elite Eight for the first time in program history. Mary Washington sees its season come to a close at 24-7. 

The Pioneers will host Trinity (CT) in the Northampton Sectional final on Saturday at 8:00pm inside Ainsworth Gymnasium. The winner of the contest advances to the Final Four, which will be contested March 18 in Hartford, CT. 

Tickets for Saturday's game will go on sale starting at 7:00pm at the lower level entrance of Ainsworth Gymnasium. Smith students will be admitted for free. 





Game Highlights

• In the first quarter, Smith came out firing on all cylinders racing ahead to a 14-2 lead midway through the quarter and go on to hold a 22-9 advantage after one. 
• The Pioneers momentum continued to grow in the second with their largest lead, 38-15, coming after Jessie Ruffner's (Rocklin, Calif./Rocklin) three with 3:12 on the clock. The Eagles ended the half on a 9-2 run, making it 40-24 at the break. 
• A three-pointer by Elizabeth Dufrane got the lead to single digits, 42-39, but Smith ended the quarter on a 5-0 run to go up 52-37 after three.
• Morrison was called for her fifth foul of the game with 6:51 remaining in the fourth and Smith ahead 56-42. From that point, Mary Washington would mount a 12-0 run to come within two on Sydney Sherman's layup with 1:46 on the clock. A free throw by Yamada made it a three-point game, 57-54, but Dufrane sent the game to overtime with her three-pointer as time ran out in regulation.
• A trey by Yamada and fastbreak layup by Amelia Clairmont (Laconia, N.H./New Hampton School) gave the Pioneers a four-point cushion (62-58) with 2:58 to go. Clairmont connected on another layup to put Smith up 65-63 before Jordan Carpenter knocked down two free throws to tie the game. Smith would inbound the ball as Yamada drained the game-winner from the top of the key to send Smith to the Elite Eight. 

By the Numbers

• Yamada finished with 15 points off the bench, including 4-of-8 from three-point range
• Katelyn Pickunka (Westhampton, Mass./Hampshire) grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds to go along with 13 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the free throw line
• Morrison added 12 points and nine boards while Jessie Ruffner (Rocklin, Calif./Rocklin) chipped in 11 points and four assists
• The Pioneers shot 32.8% from the floor, 31.6% from three-point range and 78.6% from the free throw line
• The Eagles went 39.1% from the field, 26.7% from long distance and 61.1% from the free throw line
• Smith held advantages in rebounds (46-29) and second-chance points (16-6), while Mary Washington had the edge in bench points (34-19) and points in the paint (34-28)

Up Next
Smith and Trinity met earlier this season with the Pioneers earning a 71-68 win over the Bantams. Trinity defeated Wisconsin-Whitewater in Friday's other sectional round game. 

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.