NORTHAMPTON - The No. 3 Smith basketball team delivered another dominant performance on Wednesday night, cruising past Williams, 67-48 at Ainsworth Gymnasium to extend its unbeaten start to 6-0. Senior guard Selam Maher (St.Louis Park, MN/St. Louis Park) finished with a season-high nine points. 



The first quarter opened with Smith and Williams exchanging turnovers before Micah Walton put Williams on the board first with two free throws at 8:11. Smith responded with a layup from Kate Hackney (Thousand Oaks, CA/Bishop Alemany) at 7:29, tying the game at 2-2. Virginia Johnson (Minneapolis, MN/Southwest) then led the Bears' scoring charge, contributing a layup and jumper within two minutes to edge their lead. Felicia Fongemie (Ashford, CT/Marianapolis Prep) made a significant impact in the final minute with a layup at 0:35 and a three-pointer at 0:05, assisted by Selam Maher (St.Louis Park, MN/St. Louis Park), which helped the Bears close the quarter with a 22-12 advantage over Williams.

Bre'Aria Cannon (Christiana, TN/Link Academy) led Smith with a strong start in the second quarter, scoring a layup and converting the free throw after a foul to extend the lead. Cannon continued her impact with another fast-break layup at 8:28, pushing the score to 29-14. Maggie Fleming (Downers Grove, IL/Downers Grove) also contributed significantly, scoring a jumper and a layup, assisting in keeping Williams at bay. Smith's defense held firm, allowing only 14 points, while Uta Nakamura's (Manhattan, NY/Long Island Lutheran) late layup and free throws helped close the quarter with Smith leading 43-26.

The Bears maintained their lead over Williams in the third quarter, finishing with a 14-11 advantage in the period. Maher was a key contributor for the home team, hitting a three-pointer at 8:16 and following with a paint jumper. Williams' Hanorah Murphy opened the scoring with a layup at 9:39, assisted by Kathleen Smith, but the visitors struggled to close the gap. Fongemie added crucial free throws, while Fleming scored a layup at 1:55 to extend Smith's lead. Both teams had defensive highlights, with Smith recording 11 rebounds to Williams' five.

In the fourth quarter, the Bears maintained control, beginning with Fongemie's free throw to extend their lead to 58-37. Ella Sylvester (Everett, WA/Everett) contributed significantly with a three-point play at 7:17, advancing the score to 61-37. Williams responded with a pair of free throws by Amaya Chase-Luthra, narrowing the gap to 61-39. Jillian Nowicki's (San Diego, CA/Our Lady of Peace) three-pointer, assisted by Cannon, pushed Smith's lead further to 65-41 with 4:20 remaining. Despite Logan Coster's efforts, including a layup and a three-pointer, Smith held on to secure a decisive victory.

Smith Top Performers
Felicia Fongemie (Ashford, CT/Marianapolis Prep)
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- 15 points
- 2 3-pointers
- 5/6 free throws made

Bre'Aria Cannon (Christiana, TN/Link Academy)
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- 12 rebounds
- 5 offensive rebounds
- 5 points

Maggie Fleming (Downers Grove, IL/Downers Grove)
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- 8 points
- 2 steals
- 3 rebounds

Up Next
Smith wraps up the first semester against MIT on Wednesday, December 10 at 7:00pm. Fans are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy to donate to Shriners Hospital for Children. 

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 onto GoSmithBears.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram