December 12, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Carole Grills
(413) 585-2703

Basketball Falls to Valley Rival Amherst, 81-45

Northampton, MA: The Pioneers fell 81-45 to undefeated Amherst College in non-conference action last night at Amherst. With the win the Jeffs improved to 9-0 while Smith fell to 2-6.

Smith opened the game on a 6-0 run and had a 14-8 lead four minutes into the game, but the Jeffs came back and took an 18-17 lead midway through the first half. Amherst built a 26-21 advantage with six minutes remaining but Smith responded with a 12-7 run to tie the game at 33. With six seconds left, Amherst's Sarah Leyman (Cincinnati, OH) converted two free throws to give the Jeffs a two-point lead at the break.

Turnovers plagued the Pioneers in the opening minutes of the second half that allowed the Jeffs to score eight unanswered points to give the home team a 50-37 lead. The Jeffs offense increased the lead on three-pointers and built a comfortable lead that Smith couldn't overcome.

Smith's Berit Schelde (Holstebro, Denmark) was the leading scorer for Smith with 13 points while teammate Laura Miller (Minneapolis, MN) also tallied double figures with 10 points. Sophomore Lisa Marie Vuono (Lyndhurst, NJ) had a team high 7 rebounds with 4 steals.

Amherst had four players in double figures led by Stacy Brossy (Honolulu, HI) with 14, Samantha Swensen (Rockaway Park, NY) and Stefanie Reiff (Hinsdale, IL) with 13 each and Shaina Pollack (Great Neck, NY) with a dozen.

The Pioneers host Westfield State College on Thursday, December 13 at 7 pm before breaking for the holidays.  Competition resumes on Wednesday, January 9 when Smith opens New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play at MIT at 6 p.m.