BOSTON - Senior guard Jessie Ruffner (Rocklin, Calif./Rocklin) scored 14 of her game-high 26 points in the decisive fourth quarter and visiting Smith College went on to defeat Emerson College, 74-60, in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) basketball action on Wednesday evening inside Brown and Plofker Gymnasium. 

With its seventh consecutive victory, 15th-ranked Smith improved to 21-3 overall and 9-1 in conference play. Emerson slipped to 13-11 and 4-6 in the NEWMAC.

Inside the Numbers

• Ruffner finished 10-of-18 from the floor to go along with a career-high 17 rebounds and six assists
• Sophomore guard Selam Maher (Hopkins, MN/St. Louis Park) added 15 points and four steals off the bench
• Smith shot 49.2% (29-of-59) from the floor, 50% (6-of-12) from three-point range, and 71.4% (10-of-14) from the free throw line
• Emerson shot 45.5% (25-of-55) from the field, 40% (4-of-10) from behind-the-arc and 75% (6-of-8) from the free throw line

Game Highlights

• A three-pointer by Jane Loo (Saratoga, CA/Saratoga) capped off a 7-0 run that resulted in a 13-2 lead for Smith with 6:11 left in the opening frame. Emerson battled back with 13 unanswered points and would go ahead on Ella Bushee's jumper, making it 17-15 at the end of the quarter. 
• Yamada started the second with a jumper followed by Selam Maher's (Hopkins, MN/St. Louis Park) three-pointer put Smith up 20-17. A 14-5 run by the Lions ensued as Emerson held a 31-29 lead at the break. 
• Smith shot 46.7% from the field in the third and Maher's three-pointer with 2:06 left increased Smith's edge to 46-40. Ella Sylvester's (Everett, WA/Everett) layup moved the score to 49-45 entering the fourth. 
• A three-point play by Maher widened the gap to 58-48 two minutes into the fourth. Ruffner drained 5-of-6 free throws over the final minute to secure the 74-60 victory.

Up Next
Smith will honor its seniors at the final home game of the regular season on Saturday, February 17 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, Instagram, and Twitter.