COLUMBUS, OH - The Smith College basketball team will play for its first-ever NCAA Division III Women's Basketball National Championship on Saturday, March 16 against New York University. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00pm at the Capital Center Performance Arena. 

If you are unable to attend the National Championship game, there will be VIDEO provided by CBS. The game will be shown on tape delay on the CBS Sports Network at 10:00am on Sunday, March 17. You will have to sign in to a TV provider to watch. LIVE STATS can also be viewed through the NCAA. 

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Smith (30-3) completed a regular season with a 22-3 record and were earned the No. 2 seed in the NEWMAC Tournament after a 10-1 record. The team hosted all rounds of the NEWMAC Tournament and claimed its fourth consecutive NEWMAC Championship with a 90-59 win over Babson in the title game. The Pioneers received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and hosted the First and Second Round inside Ainsworth Gymnasium. 

Smith opened the tournament by defeating Maine Maritime Academy, 61-46, and then beat Messiah University 69-61 to reach the second weekend. In the Sectional Round, Smith traveled to Brunswick, Maine and secured wins over No. 17 Wisconsin-Oshkosh (61-59) and host No. 8 Bowdoin College (52-47) to punch their ticket to the Final Four. 

To clinch the Sectional Final victory over the Polar Bears, Jessie Ruffner (Rocklin, Calif./Rocklin) poured in a game-high 27 points and 13 rebounds for her 12th double-double of the year. 

The Pioneers continued their run by defeating No.6 Wartburg College in the National Championship Semifinal game in overtime, 61-54. Smith's defense held the Knights to just 33.9% from the field and 35.3% from three-point range. Ruffner and Ally Yamada (Seal Beach, CA/Fairmont Prep Academy) combined for 46 points as Yamada knocked down six 3-pointers and Ruffner grabbed 14 rebounds. 

No. 1 NYU enters play on Saturday with a 30-0 overall record. The Violets defeated Transylvania in the National Championship Semifinals by a score of 57-42 in a battle of unbeaten teams. NYU qualified for the NCAA Tournament by winning the University Athletic Conference and is led by the WBCA National Player of the year Natalie Bruns. The Violets will seek its first title since 1997. 

Award Season
Jessie Ruffner (Rocklin, Calif./Rocklin)

• WBCA First Team All-American
• D3hoops.com Region 2 Player of the Year
• D3hoops.com All-Region First Team
• NEWBA All-Region First Team
• NEWMAC Player of the Year
• NEWMAC All-Conference First Team

Hannah Martin (North Andover, MA/North Andover)

• D3hoops.com Region 2 Rookie of the Year
• NEWMAC Rookie of the Year

Ally Yamada (Seal Beach, CA/Fairmont Prep Academy)

• NEWBA All-Region Second Team
• NEWMAC All-Conference First Team

Sofia Rosa (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury)

• NEWMAC All-Confererence Second Team

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.