Smith Completes Sweep Of Basketball, 53-35

???SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (Feb. 3, 2010) – Senior guard Berit Schelde racked up 22 points to propel the Smith College women’s basketball team to a 53-35 triumph over New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) foe Mount Holyoke College this evening at the Mildred Howard Gymnasium. With the win, the Pioneers completed the season sweep of their longtime rivals.

Schelde shot 9-of-15 from the floor, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc for Smith, which converted 49.9% (22-45) of its attempts from the field as a team. The Pioneers also received solid production from senior forward Lisa Marie Vuono, who tallied seven points and eight rebounds.

First year guard Angelica Pascual collected 13 points and seven boards to pace Mount Holyoke. Senior center Kate Shafir posted eight points and eight rebounds (six offensive). Meanwhile, senior guard Erin Cain and sophomore guard Christine Chancy chipped in with six points apiece for the hosts, who were limited to just 27.5% (14-51) shooting from the field.

The teams went back and forth over the first 14 minutes, with neither side leading by more than three points. During that span, there were three ties and six lead changes. Smith finally gained control of the contest with an 11-0 run. After getting the rally started with back to back-to-back three pointers, Schelde knocked down a short baseline jumper to put her team in front 19-11 at the 3:35 mark. The Pioneers took a 24-18 advantage into the locker room. Schelde led all scorers with 12 points at the break. Pascual had nine for the Lyons.

A layup by Shafir sliced the deficit to 25-24 just over three minutes into the second stanza, and Mount Holyoke trailed 27-25 following a free throw by Pascual at the 14:34 mark. From there, it was all Smith. The Pioneers exploded for a 15-1 spurt over the next eight minutes to put things out of reach. A jumper by Schelde extended their cushion to 42-26 with 6:10 remaining in regulation, and they led by as many as 20 points in the waning seconds.

Both squads will resume their NEWMAC schedules on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Mount Holyoke (6-14, 4-9 NEWMAC) will travel to Clark University, while Smith (10-8, 7-6 NEWMAC) will visit the Coast Guard Academy.