NORTHAMPTON - History was made in Ainsworth Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon when the Smith College basketball team won its sixth-straight NEWMAC Championship, a feat no other NEWMAC basketball team has ever done. The Bears erased a 16-point second quarter deficit and outscored the Clark 22-11 in the fourth period to defeat the Cougars, 72-65.

Smith (27-1) sealed the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament with the win and the field of 64 will be announced on Monday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. The selection show will be streamed live on NCAA.com. Clark sees their season come to an end with an overall record of 18-9.

Junior point guard Hannah Martin (North Andover, MA/North Andover) earned NEWMAC Most Outstanding Player honors as she averaged 19 points, 3 rebounds, 2.6 steals, and 2 assists in three tournament victories over Emerson, Springfield, and Clark.

The opening quarter saw the Cougars take an early lead over Smith as Atiya Watson scored a jumper just 17 seconds into play. Watson continued to be a key player for Clark, contributing with a 3-pointer at 7:36 and assisting Emma Drefs on a layup at 6:52. Smith responded with a fast-break layup by Hannah Martin (North Andover, MA/North Andover) at 7:08, narrowing the gap to 7-4. However, Clark maintained its lead, with Watson adding another 3-pointer and a layup plus a free throw to extend the advantage. Despite Smith's efforts, including a last-second fast-break layup by Selam Maher (St.Louis Park, MN/St. Louis Park), the Cougars led 27-18 at the end of the quarter.

Virginia Johnson (Minneapolis, MN/Southwest) sparked the Bears' offense in the second quarter with a series of crucial 3-pointers. Johnson's performance helped narrow the gap after Clark extended its lead to 35-19, with Watson assisting Leilani Benson on a jumper. Smith responded with a 10-2 run led by Johnson's three 3-pointers, bringing the score to 37-30. Despite Kate Hackney's (Thousand Oaks, CA/Bishop Alemany) late layup, Clark maintained its lead, closing the quarter with a 3-pointer by Kailey Rios, ending the quarter at 40-34.

In the third quarter, the Bears narrowed the gap against the Cougars, outscoring their opponent 16-14. Virginia Johnson (Minneapolis, MN/Southwest) initiated the scoring with a layup at 9:06, cutting Clark's lead to four. Uta Nakamura's (Manhattan, NY/Long Island Lutheran) fastbreak layup at 7:57 further tightened the score, while Johnson provided crucial assists to maintain momentum. Hannah Martin's (North Andover, MA/North Andover) 3-pointer at 7:23 brought Smith within one point. Despite Smith's efforts, Clark's Watson secured the final basket with a layup at the 2-second mark, concluding the quarter with a 54-50 lead for Clark.

Smith outscored the Cougars 22-11 in the final quarter to secure a 72-65 victory. Maggie Fleming's (Downers Grove, IL/Downers Grove) 3-pointer at 9:17 gave Smith an early lead, which was further extended by Hannah Martin's (North Andover, MA/North Andover) fast-break layup and free throw at 7:01. Martin continued her strong performance with another jumper and a 3-pointer, contributing significantly to Smith's scoring surge. Virginia Johnson (Minneapolis, MN/Southwest) helped seal the win with four consecutive free throws in the final minute. Despite a late 3-pointer by Cyriah Coleman for Clark, the Bears maintained their lead to clinch the win.

Smith Top Performers  
Virginia Johnson (Minneapolis, MN/Southwest)  
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- 19 points  
- 11 rebounds  
- 4 3-pointers  
- 3 steals  

Hannah Martin (North Andover, MA/North Andover)  
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- 25 points  
- 4 3-pointers  
- 5/5 free throws made  
- 4 steals  

Uta Nakamura (Manhattan, NY/Long Island Lutheran)  
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- 7 points  
- 5 steals  
- 4 assists  

Kate Hackney (Thousand Oaks, CA/Bishop Alemany)  
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- 9 points  
- 11 rebounds  
- 2 blocks

Up Next
The Smith basketball team will wait to find out who and where they will play in the upcoming NCAA Tournament that will begin on Friday, March 6 at campus sites across the country. More information will be posted on GoSmithBears.com as it becomes available. The selection show takes place at NCAA.com at 2:30pm on Monday, March 2.

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.