LEWISTON, ME - The Smith College basketball team has a berth in the Sweet 16 on the line when it faces Bates College in the second round of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship Saturday at 7:15pm in Alumni Gym.

Game Schedule / Live Coverage
Saturday, March 7
7:15pm - Smith vs Bates - Live Stats | Video

Broadcast Information
All games will be broadcast live via NCAA Championships Pass at NCAA.com. You can also download the app for viewing on your phone, tablet or smart TV by downloading the NCAA Champs App at the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Notables

• CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS: Smith captured its sixth-consecutive regular season championship Sunday, overcoming a 16-point deficit against Clark University
• RANKING: Smith enters the postseason ranked No. 4 in the WBCA Coaches' Poll, No. 6 in the D3hoops.com Top 25, and No. 1 in the region
• THE MAINE EXPERIENCE: The Bears are 7-2 in the state of Maine in NCAA Tournament games under head coach Lynn Hersey
• TOURNEY TIME: Smith boasts a 21-6 record in the NCAA Tournament
• NCAA EXPERIENCE: Smith will be making its eighth appearance in the NCAA Tournament
• ROAD WARRIORS: The Bears are 11-1 on the road this season

Scouting the Bears

• Smith enters Friday's game riding a 14-game win streak
• The Bears advanced to the second round following a 73-55 win over Union (NY) on Friday evening. Hannah Martin (North Andover, MA/North Andover) led four players in double-figures for Smith with 21 points. Virginia Johnson (Minneapolis, MN/Southwest) added a monster double-double of 12 points and 14 boards.
• This is just the fourth meeting between these two teams. The Bears are 2-1 with its last win coming in 2017 by a score of 85-64.
• The Bears leads the NCAA in field goal percentage (46.9%) and 3-point field goal percentage (40.4%), while ranking fourth in the NCAA in scoring margin (+23.9)
• Hannah Martin (North Andover, MA/North Andover) was named the NEWMAC Defensive Player of the Year and earned NEWMAC All-Conference First Team honors. She is averaging 11.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game
• Virginia Johnson (Minneapolis, MN/Southwest) received All-Conference First Team recognition after a breakout season leading the Bears in points (12.5) and rebounds (6.9). She ranks fourth in program history with 74 three-point field goals this year
• Felicia Fongemie (Ashford, CT/Marianapolis Prep) was named to the NEWMAC All-Conference Second team and is averaging 9.4 points per game followed by Uta Nakamura (Manhattan, NY/Long Island Lutheran) at 9.4 ppg and a team-high 58 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 Bobcats

• Bates (25-3) won the NESCAC Championship over Bowdoin 61-56
• Elsa Daulerio was named the NESCAC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year
• Sarah Hughes earned first team All-NESCAC honors
• Head coach Alison Montgomery and assistants Jackie Luckhardt, Jack Stannard, and Mike Seltzer picked up NESCAC Coaching Staff of the Year recognition
• Daulerio has blocked a career-high 75 shots while averaging 13.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game
• The Bobcats (25-3) tied the program record for most wins in a season with Friday's victory over Merchant Marine, 71-57

Up Next
The winner of tonight's game will advance and face the winner of Scranton vs Otterbein in the Sweet 16 on Friday, March 13. Site and time TBA

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.