SPRINGFIELD - The Smith College basketball team won a tightly contested battle over Springfield College, 62-54, Saturday afternoon inside Blake Arena. The Bears overcame 22 turnovers with 15 assists on 20 field goals and a 34-22 advantage on the boards. Smith has now won three-straight against the Pride (9-5) and nine of its last 10 meetings. 

At 12-0, Smith ties its best start in program history. 

The game commenced with the Bears taking an initial lead after Selam Maher (St.Louis Park, MN/St. Louis Park) drained a 3-pointer, assisted by Felicia Fongemie (Ashford, CT/Marianapolis Prep), at 9:19. The Pride responded with a strong effort, led by Claire Finney, who scored a fast-break layup and added two free throws to go ahead.. The Bears managed to stay close with a 3-pointer from Uta Nakamura (Manhattan, NY/Long Island Lutheran) at 1:06, assisted by Mya Williams (Temple City, CA/Bishop Amat Memorial), narrowing the gap to 17-15. Springfield's Stefany Padula closed the quarter with a decisive 3-pointer with four seconds remaining, securing a 20-edge lead for the Pride.

The Bears outscored the Pride 18-13 in a back and forth second quarter. Hannah Martin's (North Andover, MA/North Andover) 3-pointer at 7:44 tied the game at 20-20, assisted by Maggie Fleming (Downers Grove, IL/Downers Grove). Mya Williams (Temple City, CA/Bishop Amat Memorial) added a layup shortly after, and another critical play came from Uta Nakamura's (Manhattan, NY/Long Island Lutheran) jumper at 6:30, which leveled the score again at 22-22. The quarter ended dramatically as Selam Maher (St.Louis Park, MN/St. Louis Park) hit a 3-pointer with 27 seconds left to tie the game at 33-33, setting up a tense second half.

Smith gained momentum in the third quarter with Maher hitting a 3-pointer at 9:43, assisted by Martin, giving the Bears an early lead. Despite Springfield's Natalie Lucas responding with a layup shortly after, the visitors maintained their advantage. Virginia Johnson (Minneapolis, MN/Southwest) extended Smith's lead with another 3-pointer at 7:17, assisted by Maher. Nakamura solidified the Bears' position by scoring five points late in the quarter, including a crucial layup at 1:10. Felicia Fongemie (Ashford, CT/Marianapolis Prep) closed the quarter with a layup at 00:06, securing a 50-46 lead for the Bears, despite a last-second 3-pointer from Springfield's Carrie Hess.

Smith secured a narrow victory over the Pride by converting 7-of-8 free throws in the fourth quarter. Johnson knocked down a 3-pointer at 6:39 to extend Smith's lead to 53-48. Claire Finney's layup and a subsequent free throw brought Springfield within two points, but the Bears maintained their advantage. Uta Nakamura's (Manhattan, NY/Long Island Lutheran) two free throws with 6 seconds remaining finalized the score at 62-54. Smith's defense held the Pride to 8 points in the quarter, sealing the win.

Smith Top Performers  
Uta Nakamura (Manhattan, NY/Long Island Lutheran)  
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- 16 points  
- 5/7 field goals made  
- 3 assists  

Virginia Johnson (Minneapolis, MN/Southwest)  
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- 8 points  
- 9 rebounds  
- 2 assists  

Selam Maher (St.Louis Park, MN/St. Louis Park)  
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- 13 points  
- 3 3-pointers  
- 2/2 free throws made  

Up Next
Smith travels to Middlebury on Tuesday, January 13 at 5:00pm

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 onto GoSmithBears.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram