Pioneers Jan. 28 Basketball Game Against Mount Holyoke To Feature VIPs on the Bench

There will be some new faces on the bench—and on the roster—at the Pioneers’ home basketball matchup this week against Mount Holyoke College.

Updated—Smith and Mount Holyoke went toe-to-toe in a low-scoring first half but in the end the Lyons prevailed by 54-52 over the Pioneers. The win was the first for Mount Holyoke in 12 tries against Smith. The Pioneers are now at 6-11 and 2-7  in conference play. At halftime, the Pioneers welcomed  Madison Conley, 7, of Northampton to the team in a special ceremony through their partnership with Team IMPACT.

One of them is President McCartney, who has been an enthusiastic Smith basketball fan since her arrival on campus in 2013.

“Coach Lynn Hersey invited me to sit on the bench with the team,” McCartney said. “Who could pass that up?”

McCartney said she admires Hersey’s “measured and positive” coaching style. “This is my chance to see what she’s writing on her clipboard,” she added.

McCartney invited Mount Holyoke President Lynn Pasquerella to share the bench with the visiting Lyons and said she is delighted that her colleague and friend has accepted.

Another newcomer at this week’s game is seven-year-old Madison Conley of Northampton, who was paired with the Pioneers last spring by Team IMPACT, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that connects children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses with college athletic teams.

Conley has Mitochondrial Disease, which makes it difficult for her to convert food to energy. In addition to attending Pioneers games, she celebrated her birthday last summer with the team and has also joined players on field trips, team dinners and in Skype and locker-room sessions.

Head basketball coach Lynn Hersey said it’s been privilege for the team to be paired with Conley. “We learn every day how to give of ourselves and of our time for someone else,” Hersey said. “I’m humbled every time I see the genuine connection between our players and this little girl.”

The game against Mount Holyoke on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 7 p.m. at Ainsworth Gym will feature a halftime “Signing Day” ceremony honoring Conley as the newest member of the Pioneers’ support team. She will sign a letter of intent and receive an official team jersey.

Members of the Pioneers with Madison Conley, 7, of Northampton, who has been paired with the basketball team through a nonprofit program.

Earlier this month, the Pioneers bested the Lyons by 82-37 in a New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference game in South Hadley. Smith’s conference record is now 2-6, with an average of 58.9 points scored per game.

When was the last time a Smith president joined the courtside coaching action at Ainsworth?

“I’m pretty sure it’s never happened before,” said Lauren Weston ’15, co-captain of the Pioneers.

Weston, who is majoring in engineering, added that McCartney has been a strong backer of the basketball team—and other student athletes at Smith.

“She’s been really great with our team and with advocating for athletics,” Weston said. “She comes to our games, and she always goes out of her way to say ‘hello’ to us when she sees us on campus. It feels good having someone in her position taking the time to get to know us.”

Hersey said she was inspired to ask McCartney to share the bench with the coaching staff after the president mentioned it would be fun to experience some behind-the-scenes game strategy.

“The president will be sitting right next to me,” said Hersey, who has been coaching for eight years at Smith. “It’s going to be fun for her to witness up close how our players and coaching staff handle problem-solving, teamwork and communication under the pressure of game situations. I’m sure she’ll have some tips to offer us.”

Hersey said McCartney has made “quite an impact” as a supporter of Smith teams and student athletes. “We feel extremely fortunate to have a leader who believes in the value of leadership through sport,” Hersey said. “We feel motivated to set our goals high and then go chase them.”

She added that last year, when the Pioneers hosted a conference basketball tournament for the first time, McCartney cleared her scheduled so that she could attend semifinal and final games.

“She really lets us know she’s in our corner,” Hersey said.

Co-captain Weston said she wouldn’t be surprised if McCartney shares some coaching advice from the bench.

“She has good basketball skills and a good eye. She’s really there for us,” Weston said.

Here’s how McCartney summed up her plans for the game: “I always tweet at our basketball games,” she said. “It will be fun to tweet from a different angle.”