NORTHAMPTON - The 13th-ranked Smith College basketball team opened its conference slate with a hard-fought 82-78 win over WPI Saturday afternoon inside Ainsworth Gymnasium. Smith, who has won its last 23 regular season New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) games, improves to 12-2 on the year and 1-0 in NEWMAC action. WPI falls to 8-7 overall and 0-1 in league play. 

Inside the Numbers

• Four Smith players finished in double-figures led by Hannah Martin's (North Andover, MA/North Andover) career-high 16 points, six steals, four assists and three rebounds
• Ally Yamada (Seal Beach, CA/Fairmont Prep Academy) added 21 points, while Jessie Ruffner (Rocklin, Calif./Rocklin) chipped in 14 points and seven boards
• Sofia Rosa (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury) totaled 12 points, seven rebounds, and two assists
• WPI held a slim 28-27 edge in rebounds, while Smith held a 60-28 advantage in points in the paint
• Smith shot 57.4% (35-of-67) from the floor, 33.3% (5-of-15) from long distance, and 43.8% (7-of-16) from the free throw line
• The Engineers shot 54.7% (29-of-53) from the field, 75% (9-of-12) from three-point range, and 84.6% (11-of-13) from the free throw line
• Smith has won six consecutive games over WPI

Game Highlights

• Smith jumped out to an 11-3 lead midway through the first when Jane Loo (Saratoga, CA/Saratoga) connected on a driving layup. After a pair of free throws by the visitors, Smith would close out the quarter on a 6-3 burst to make it a 17-8 contest after 10 minutes of play.
• The Engineers went 4-of-4 from three-point range in the second quarter and got to within three (19-16) with 8:11 on the clock before a quick 6-0 run by Smith made it 25-16 at the 6:55 mark as the Pioneers went into the break ahead 41.34.
• WPI came out firing in the third, shooting 76.9% from the floor with four three-pointers and took their first lead of the game, 57-55, on Ava Giansiracus's trey with 2:20 remaining in the period. Rosa tied it up but a jumper by Shannon Reno with 28 seconds left put the visitors up 59-57 heading into the fourth.
• Trailing 63-59 with 9:17 on the clock, Smith generated an 8-3 run capped by Martin's steal and layup on the other end to make it 67-66 in favor of the Pioneers. Another steal by Martin led to a Ruffner layup, giving Smith a 77-72 edge with 2:38 remaining, but back-to-back buckets by WPI got them to within one, 77-76. The teams exchanged baskets with just over a minute to go followed by Yamada's layup to give Smith an 81-78 lead with 42 seconds on the clock. WPI's three-point attempt fell short and Ruffner tacked on a free throw with 14 seconds on the clock to secure the 82-78 win. 

Up Next
Smith embarks on a two-game road swing and will face Babson on Wednesday, January 17 at 7:00pm. 

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.