NORTHAMPTON - The Smith College basketball team is on the verge of history when they take the court on Sunday afternoon in the 2026 NEWMAC Women's Basketball Championship. The Bears are aiming for a sixth-consecutive conference title, something no other basketball team has done before.
#1 Smith (26-1) vs #3 Clark (19-8)
Game 28 | NEWMAC Championship
Sunday, March 1 - 1:00pm
Ainsworth Gymnasium | Northampton, MA
Video /
Live Stats
Notables
- CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS: Smith captured its fifth-consecutive regular season championship with an undefeated 11-0 record
- RANKING: Smith enters the postseason ranked No. 5 in the WBCA Coaches' Poll, No. 7 in the D3hoops.com Top 25, and No. 1 in the region
- HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: The Bears are 16-0 inside Ainsworth Gymnasium this season
- CHASING HISTORY: Smith is going for a NEWMAC record sixth-straight NEWMAC Championship
- PRIMED FOR PLAYOFFS: Smith has won its last 15 NEWMAC Tournament contests dating back to 2019, a 48-46 setback to Springfield
Scouting the Bears
- Smith enters Sunday's game riding a 12-game win steak
- The Smith offense leads the NEWMAC in scoring (74.3ppg), defense (49.7ppg), while outscoring opponents by 24.6 points per game
- The Bears also rank first in field goal percentage (.469), field goal percentage defense (.323), three-point percentage (.407 - 1st in NCAA), three-point defense (.250), free throw percentage (.752) and rebound margin (+10.4/game)
- Virginia Johnson (Minneapolis, MN/Southwest) leads the Bears, averaging 12.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.4 assists per game. She shoots 48.0 percent from the field, including 44.4% from long distance
- Preseason All-American point guard Hannah Martin (North Andover, MA/North Andover) is averaging 10.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game
- Felicia Fongemie (Ashford, CT/Marianapolis Prep) is third on the team at 9.6 points per game followed by Uta Nakamura (Manhattan, NY/Long Island Lutheran) at 9.4 points and a team-high 50 steals
- Head coach Lynn Hersey won her 350th game at Smith on January 31 against Springfield and is 24-8 all-time in the NEWMAC Tournament
Scouting the Opponent
- Clark advanced to the NEWMAC Championship game for the first time since 2005 with a 68-51 win at Babson
- The Cougars are 32-26 all-time against Smith but have lost the last 10 meetings
- The two teams last met in the NEWMAC Quarterfinals in 2011 with Smith winning 72-61
- In the regular season meeting on February 7, Smith scored 27 points in the fourth quarter to pull away 76-64
- The Cougars rank third in the NEWMAC in scoring offense with 66.7 points per game
- Cyriah Coleman averages 12.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game with 99 assists on the season
- Atiya Watson chips in 11.0 points per game and 2.8 rebounds with 51 total assists
2026 NEWMAC Women's Basketball Championship
Quarterfinals: Wednesday, February 25 (at highest seeds)
No. 8 Emerson 59, No. 1 Smith 80 – Final
No. 7 Coast Guard 68, No. 2 Babson 92 – Final
No. 6 WPI 53, No. 3 Clark 65 – Final
No. 5 Springfield 64, No. 4 MIT 50 - Final
Semifinals: Friday, February 27 (at highest remaining seed)
No. 5 Springfield 53, No. 1 Smith 66 – Final
No. 3 Clark 68, No. 2 Babson 51 – Final
Championship: Sunday, March 1
No. 3 Clark at No. 1 Smith- 1:00 P.M.
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 GoSmithBears.com and follow us on Facebook, and Instagram.
