NORTHAMPTON - The Smith College basketball team pulled away in the second quarter to earn a 69-59 win over SUNY Cobleskill in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Tournament Friday evening in Ainsworth Gymnasium. 

The Pioneers (27-2) advance to the second round of the tournament where they will face Amherst College at 6:45pm on Saturday night for a trip ot the Sweet 16. General admission tickets will go on sale Saturday at 10:15am HERE. The Fighting Tigers finish their season with a record of 24-5. 



Top Performers

• Hannah Martin (North Andover, MA/North Andover)finished with a career-high 22 points, including four from three-point range
• Ally Landau (Livingston, NJ) added 17 points, a career-best 15 rebounds, and six assists
• Jane Loo (Saratoga, CA/Saratoga) chipped in 15 points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals
• The Fighting Tigers were led by Cara Walker's 16 points, while Logan Thayne finished with nine points and 12 rebounds

By the Numbers

• SUNY Cobleskill  shot 38.9% from the field, 35.7% from three-point range and 75% from the free throw line
• Smith shot 47.5% from the floor, 38.9% from long distance, and 36.4% from the free throw line
• The Pioneers won the rebounding battle 33-27 and held an 11-0 advantage in fast break points

Game Highlights

• A pair of free throws by Martin gave Smith a three-point lead late in the first before Annie Canales buried a three-pointer to tie it with 3:31 on the clock. Cara Walker's free throw with 27 seconds put the Fighting Tigers ahead at the end of the first, 14-13. 
• Sparked by a layup from Landau, Smith rolled off a 9-0 run late in the second to lift the Pioneers advantage to 32-26 at the break. 
• Smith stretched its lead to 12 multiple times in the third period and went into the fourth ahead 55-44. 
• Virginia Johnson (Minneapolis, MN/Southwest) came off the bench and drilled a crucial three-pointer to kick off the fourth as Smith maintained its double-digit throughout the final period on their way to the win. 

Up Next
Smith will battle Amherst College, who defeated Vassar College on Friday, 64-49, at 6:45pm in 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, and Instagram.