Allie Rooney ’16
Contributing Writer
On the night of Wednesday, Dec. 4th, the Smith College Basketball team took a short trip to face long time rivals Mount Holyoke. The Pioneers were hoping to end their two game losing streak and get back to a 500-record within the NEWMAC. They did that and a little more. The Pioneers outscored the Lyons 71-38, their largest margin of difference thus far this season. Paulina Solis ‘15 led the Pioneers with 15 points. Rosa Drummond ‘14 added 14 points and 9 rebounds. Mandy Castro ‘17, who made her first collegiate start against the Lyons, chipped in with 10 points, 5 assists and 4 steals. Sydney Parkmond ‘14 and Jazmine Collins ‘17 were the final two starters for Smith, and they collectively added 11 points for the Pioneers. Even though Smith was able to shoot 47% in the second half, it was their defense that helped them be victorious in this game. They were able to force 30 turnovers, which translated to 28 points for the Pioneers. According to Tia Karapoulios ‘16 who added 2 points and a block during the game, “We played strong, aggressive defense the entire game. On offense we ran the ball a lot and scored on well-executed plays. There was a great energy the entire game.” Smith improved to a 2-3 overall record, with a 2-2 record in NEWMAC play.
This past Saturday Smith fell to Wellesley. The Pioneers suffered a 68-53 loss. Rosa Drummond led the Pioneers with 14 points and Lauren Weston ‘16 added 11 points. Smith is now 2-4 and 2-3 in the NEWMAC. Smith will return home on Tuesday, December 10th to face Westfield State University who is 3-3.
