NORTHAMPTON, Mass. - Senior guard Genelle Green dropped in a game-best 20 points, but it wasn't enough as Mount Holyoke shouldered an 80-31 loss to Smith in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action on Wednesday evening. With the victory, the Pioneers move to 7-9 and are now 4-4 in conference play. The Lyons are now 0-16 and 0-8 in the NEWMAC.
Smith was led by Kennedy Guest-Pritch, who notched 16 points and a game-high seven rebounds with two assists. Lauren Bondi chipped in with 15 points, while Mandy Castro had eight points, three rebounds and two assists. Jade Chihara rounded out the top efforts, posting seven points, five boards and a game-best four assists.
For Mount Holyoke, Green had five rebounds in addition to her 20 points. Senior Kelly Stewart added five points, three boards and two steals, while first year Leah Hodges had three points, three boards, three assists and a block.
It was a rough start for the Lyons as the homestanding Pioneers boasted a 17-5 advantage after the opening quarter. Smith continued to gain momentum in the second quarter as a layup by Chihara put the home team up by 15 points with 8:53 to play. An 11-0 run by the Pioneers made it a 33-9 game, but Hodges hit a three with 1:43 to go, cutting the deficit to 33-12.
Holding a 36-12 lead after halftime, Smith continued to capitalize off the glass, draining nine straight points over a two minute span to give the home team a 51-14 lead with 5:17 remaining in the third quarter. The Lyons closed out the quarter on a strong run, nailing three free throws over the final 1:08 of the frame.
In the final quarter, back-to-back layups by Green, paired with two makes at the line, helped close the gap to 65-25. A three from Castro was quickly countered by shots from downtown by Stewart and Green, but Smith continued to capitalize on MHC turnovers down the stretch to close out the game.
Mount Holyoke returns to action on Saturday when it travels to Wheaton for a 1pm game. Smith is also back on the court on Saturday, hosting MIT at 2pm.
