NORTHAMPTON - The Smith College basketball team locked up the No. 2 seed in the upcoming New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship Tournament with a 94-54 win against Wellesley College on Saturday afternoon inside Ainsworth Gymnasium. 

Smith, which is ranked No. 15 in this week's WBCA National Poll and slotted second in the most recent NCAA Division III Region II rankings, improved to 22-3, 10-1 in conference play, while the Blue fell to 9-14 overall and 2-9 on the year. 



Inside the Numbers

• Sofia Rosa (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury) led the way with 19 points and pulled down seven rebounds
• Ally Yamada (Seal Beach, CA/Fairmont Prep Academy) added 16 points, while Amelia Clairmont (Laconia, N.H./New Hampton School) chipped in 10 points and three boards
• Virginia Johnson (Minneapolis, MN/Southwest) finished with nine points in eight minutes
• Smith shot 59.7% (37-of-62) from the field, 41.4% (12-of-29) from three, and 80% (8-of-10) from the free throw line
• The Pioneers held a 40-15 rebounding edge and 36-3 advantage in bench scoring

Game Highlights

• Wellesley's Trinity Barrow converted a layup in transition to give Wellesley a 7-5 edge as Smith called for a timeout at the 6:36 mark. The Pioneers responded with a Yamada three which sparked a 19-6 capped off by a Hannah Martin (North Andover, MA/North Andover) 3-pointer with 1:22 remaining. The team's exchanged baskets and the visitors converted a layup as time expired to make it 26-17 in favor of the Pioneers after the first.
• Smith's largest lead of the period came after Rosa drained two free throws to help the hosts lead balloon to 44-23 with 2:12 remaining. The blue chipped away and cut the deficit to 16 points, 48-32, at the half. 
• After a trey to start the third by Caitlin Windross, Smith orchestrated a 14-0 run and never looked back, going ahead 70-44 with one period left. 
• Virginia Johnson (Minneapolis, MN/Southwest) knocked down three 3-pointers in the fourth as Smith pulled away for the 94-54 win

Up Next
The Pioneers will host seventh-seeded Clark University in the NEWMAC Championship Quarterfinals on Wednesday, February 21 at 7:00pm inside Ainsworth Gymnasium. 

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.