As the clock wound down in Ainsworth Gymnasium Friday night, the crowds morphed into a wave of bodies, moving to their feet united in their cheering and sense of suspense. Tied at 65-65 it seemed as if the Pioneers and Mary Washington Eagles would take the game into double overtime. Then, in the closing seconds of the first overtime, the ball was inbounded to Ally Yamada ’24 who squared up at the three point line and let the ball fly:
“I knew it was good when it left my hands.”
“There was a little bit of pressure, but you know you can push it to double overtime or you can make the shot,” said Yamada, reflecting on that game-deciding play. “In my head it was like I wanted to knock this down for my team. I wasn’t thinking about it too much, I was just in the moment.”
The game marked the third round of the NCAA Division III Championship. The Smith Pioneers, with a 26-1 overall record and a #1 Region II ranking, took on the Mary Washington Eagles who had a 22-6 overall record and #2 Region VI ranking. Playing on their homecourt, the Pioneers were hungry for a win. As crowds of Smith students and fans flooded into the gym, the Pioneers sharpened their focus.
Thirty seconds into the game, Shell Gleissner ’22 put the first points on the board. Gleissner shot a three, sinking it and setting the precedent for a Smith dominant first quarter. At the end of the first, the Pioneers led the Eagles 22-9.
As the second quarter opened, the Eagles appeared to be chipping away at a comeback, closing the score gap to 24-13. After a Smith timeout two and a half minutes into the quarter, the energy was back. The Pioneers put the Eagles on lockdown, playing a tough and scrappy defense, getting tips on the balls and facilitating turnovers. The half closed with the Pioneers leading 40-24.
As the Pioneers ran off the court at the half, Smith fans were overcome with excitement. Elizabeth MacNeil ’23 exclaimed, “It’s so high energy! it’s actually crazy that we’re probably going to win this game.”
The farthest the Pioneers had advanced into the NCAA Championship in the past was to the Sweet16. A win against the Eagles would make history for the program, giving them their first ever spot in the Elite Eight and a potential run at the Final Four.
As the momentum of the Pioneer’s in-season successes carried into the postseason, first with their dominance in the NEWMAC Championship and followed by their success in the NCAA tournament, the Smith fan base rallied behind them.
“In the earlier games, there weren’t as many people who came out. But then, as they started winning and winning, more people came and came,” said RyAnne Raffipiy ’26, who has been following Smith’s basketball team since the start of their season.
The crowd erupted into cheers and whistles as the Pioneers ran back onto the court, prepped and ready to take on the second half. Eighteen seconds into the second half, Gleissner found a lane and drove, sinking the first two points of the quarter and bringing the Pioneers to an 18 point lead. Three minutes later, Eagle player Jordan Carpenter answered with a layup of her own, closing the gap to 16 points. The Eagles then proceed to go on a nine point run, bringing the score to 42-33. The Pioneers racked up 10 points in the closing three minutes of the quarter, bringing their lead back up to 15 points.
The fourth quarter opened with a 52-37 Pioneer lead. Three minutes into the quarter, the Pioneer lead had grown to 17 points. But then the tide turned, the Eagles began to minimize the lead, raising their score from 39 to 54 all while holding the Pioneers at 56 points. With a 1:46 left on the clock, the Pioneer lead had shrunk to two points. The 56-54 score held until 12 seconds left in the game when Yamada sank a free throw. At this point, the whole gym was abuzz.
“It’s absolutely wild. That’s all the words you need to describe it,” commented Amanda Iritani, Yamada’s cousin and Smith fan.
As the clock ticked down, Eagle player Elizabeth Dufrane subbed in, caught a pass, and stepped back for a three pointer. Amidst the crowd’s chant counting down from 10, the ball flew from Dufrane’s hands. 5 … 4 … Swish. The basket was good. The score was tied at 57-57 and the Eagles and Pioneers would be going into overtime.
Early in overtime, the Eagles sank a freethrow, taking the lead for the first time in the game. The Pioneers quickly answered with a three pointer from Yamada which put the score at 60-58. Through the course of the quarter, leads changed eight times. Then, with 22 seconds left in the game and the Pioneers holding a two point lead, the Eagles called a timeout. After drawing a foul, Carpenter stepped to the line for the Eagles. She sank both of her free throws, tying the game with 13 seconds left on the clock. Then the Pioneers inbound the ball and searched for a look as the audience stood, ready to explode with excitement. Jessie Ruffner ’24 drove to the basket, trying to get a look and, when the lane closed, kicked the ball out to Yamada who was ready to strike.
Through all the chaos of the fourth quarter and overtime, the Pioneer’s faith in each other never wavered. Morgan Morrision ’23, who was recently named both NEWBAA and NEWMAC athlete of the year, fouled out in the fourth quarter, right before the Eagles went on their 15 point run. Morrison also hit her 1000th career point Friday night.
“In my mind, it was like don’t panic and have faith in the team. You know I fouled out and I had so much faith in the team and I knew we could do this,” Morrison said, and smiled. “If it wasn’t my night, it’s always someone else’s and that’s what’s so great about this team: we’re always supporting each other constantly.”
Morrison carried her love for her team as she spoke about her recent awards, “It is always so great to get those kinds of awards and to be recognized, but I couldn’t have gotten here without my teammates. I was ecstatic; all the hard work paid off.”
Smith basketball head coach Lynn Hersey was also recognized as the 2023 NEWBA Coach of the Year. She has led the Pioneers to both of their Sweet16 appearances in the 2019-2020 and 2021-2022 seasons. Reflecting on the game, Hersey said,
“We were just trying to be strategic with the possessions we had. We were just trying to get our players good looks … the goal was to generate some stops and put the ball in the right player’s hand who could make the play.”
“We have a lot of competitors on this team and they do a really great job of making big plays and big moments,” commented Hersey on the versatility of the team.
The stats from the game illustrate the immense talent of the Pioneers. Four players scored in the double digits, Morrison (12), Ruffner (11), Katelyn Pickunka ’22 (13), and Yamada (15). Pickunka led rebounds with 18. Ruffner and Morgan led turnovers with four each, closely followed by Jazmyn Washington ’25 and Pickunka with three each.
Aside from stats, Hersey explained that the chemistry and dedication of the players also contribute greatly to their success.
“It’s a great, great group. I’m so proud of them. You know, they’re willing to put everything on the line game after game. They’re just so close. They’re very supportive of each other. All are their genuine selves and they support each other.”
The following night, the Pioneers played Trinity College, winning 46-63 and securing their spot in the NCAA Division III FinalFour. The Pioneers learn and grow every game, fostering their chemistry and honing their skills.
“Every game is a learning experience for us,” commented Hersey.
Smith will take on the (30-0) Translyvania Pioneers on Saturday in Connecticut for a shot at NCAA Division III tournament championship.
