NORTON - The 12th-ranked Smith College basketball team garnered its sixth consecutive victory after defeating Wheaton College, 69-55, in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) match up on Saturday afternoon.
Smith, which has won 37-straight games against conference opponents, improves to 14-2 overall and 3-0 in the NEWMAC. Wheaton falls to 9-8 overall and 1-2 in the league.
Inside the Numbers
- Smith was led by Sofia Rosa (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury), who tallied 15 points and 10 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the year
- Jessie Ruffner (Rocklin, Calif./Rocklin) posted her fifth double-double this season, finishing with 11 points, 10 boards, and two assists
- Hannah Martin (North Andover, MA/North Andover) added 10 points, while Jazmyn Washington (Los Angeles, CA/Birmingham Community Charter) registered a career-high eight points on 4-of-5 shooting
- The Pioneers held a 45-34 edge in rebounds and owned a 44-28 advantage in points in the paint
- Smith shot 39.1% (25-of-64) from the field, 16.7% from three-point range (2-of-12), and 65.4% (17-of-26) from the free throw line
Game Highlights
- Smith never trailed in the game, but Wheaton was within 6-4 after a layup at the 7:55 mark of the first period. The Pioneers then enjoyed a scorching 18-5 stretch over the next 6:04 to take a 24-9 advantage with 59 seconds left in the quarter.
- After an 8-4 run by Wheaton with 6:19 remaining in the half, Smith responded with a 9-2 burst to close out the half and increase their lead to 16 (37-21) at the intermission.
- The Pioneers increased their lead to 24 with two free throws from Ruffner with 2:34 showing on the clock in the third quarter, but Wheaton matched a pair of free throws and knocked down a set of triples for the Lyons that cut Smith's lead to 16 with 52 seconds of play left in the third stanza. Maggie Fleming (Downers Grove, IL/Downers Grove) proved to be a spark off the bench, finishing with four points and two seals in the final 41 seconds of the period
- Selam Maher (Hopkins, MN/St. Louis Park) stretched Smith's advantage to 22 on a pair of free throws with 6:03 on the clock, but Wheaton closed out the game outscoring Smith 13-5
Up Next
A rematch with Springfield College takes place on Wednesday, January 24 at 7:00pm inside Ainsworth Gymnasium. Free T Shirts will be given out to all Smith fans while supplies last.
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.
