Cameo Tietje ’18
Sports Editor
Smith College seniors and basketball captains, Mandy Castro ’17 and Jade Chihara ’17, had their final home game on Saturday against Wheaton. The stands in Ainsworth Gymnasium were packed. Their teammates made posters for their graduating seniors, which were hung up around Ainsworth. Some of the posters were filled with inside jokes between Smith College Basketball (SCBB) players, while others were individual black and white shots of the seniors. The game started by honoring the seniors, listing their accomplishments throughout their time at Smith. Chihara and Castro have been leaders on the SCBB team for their entire career. Both are calm, collected and confident with the ability to bring their team together in the face of adversity. Their skill set, leadership qualities and support from their teammates helped them become the team captains they were all season. Team manager, Rebecca Laudermilk, was also honored as a graduating senior. She has been a close and important part of the SCBB community since her first year. The three seniors even share a Paradise apartment together. The game started with Chihara, Castro, Kennedy Guest-Pritchett ’19, Samantha Alakai ’18, and Lauren Bondi ’19 on the court. The game had a shaky start as each team battled for every point they could muster. Although at 3:15 Chihara sunk in a three-pointer leading the team 7-4, the game was back-to-back scoring. Some standout players of the game were Guest-Pritchett, Meghan Holland ’18, and Bondi. Guest-Pritchett reached her 10th double-double of the season with 23 points, 14 rebounds and four steals. Bondi started her first game of the season with nine points, four assists, two rebounds and two steals. Holland finished the game with eight points, two assists and one steal. In the third quarter, Paige Marquez ’18 landed a jumper and Bondi sunk a three-pointer, creating a solid lead of 50-37 for the Pioneers. The Pioneers maintained their double-digit lead in the fourth quarter, ending the game with a win of 61-49. Follow Smith College Basketball to Mount Holyoke, Wednesday at 7pm.
