Go Pioneers! March Madness Comes to Smith

Congratulations to Smith’s Basketball team on winning the NEWMAC championship and their winning streak in the first round! Two years ago, the Pioneers made it to the Sweet 16 and weren’t able to play because of the onset of the pandemic. This is the second consecutive year the Pioneers have won the NEWMAC title and a historic moment that the NCAA championship awarded them hosting rights last Friday night at Ainsworth Gymnasium. With a record of 25-2 the future appears to look good for the team.

Coach Lynn Hersey emphasized to The Sophian that the Pioneers are at “the part where we have to survive each game to survive the next round. It is the best teams now with great players and great coaches. That’s what makes playing March so special.”

Hersey’s current philosophy of coaching is to stick to the routine, focus their efforts on scouting and game prep and to stick to the fundamentals. The Pioneers will be playing at The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater this Friday night at 8:30 p.m. (EST). This will be the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Division III tournament. The winner will play the following night for the Elite 8 round with that winner then advancing to the final four next weekend in Pittsburgh.

Hersey’s advice to the team for the next game was, “Trust our body of work—we’ve played a really difficult schedule to be where we are and have been tested by a lot of teams, so we have learned to win in various capacities. Trust the work in the season thus far and find a way.”

Let’s go Pioneers and congratulations to the entire team for their incredible work this season!

Ashlyn Bohn (G) Tucson, AZ