#11/17 Pioneers pull away from Seahawks

NEWPORT, R.I. (January 27, 2024) - Salve Regina University women's basketball hosted its first nationally-ranked opponent of the season and fell, 71-43, to the #11/17 Smith College Pioneers in NEWMAC action at the Rodgers Recreation Center on Saturday afternoon.

Sofia Rosa led four visitors in double figures with 16 points. Briana Neary (Wayne, N.J.) paced the Seahawks with 10 points. The Pioneers (15-3, 4-1 NEWMAC) rebounded from a home loss to Springfield College earlier in the week. Neary had a career-high 38 points at Emerson College on Wednesday as Salve Regina (9-10, 3-2 NEWMAC) outlasted the Lions.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Smith 71, Salve Regina 43
Records: Salve Regina (9-10, 3-2 NEWMAC), Smith (15-3, 4-1 NEWMAC)
All-Time Series: The Pioneers improve to 4-0 in the all-time series with all four meetings in the last eight years.

SUMMARY

• 1Q - Ashley Rourke opened the scoring with a 3-pointer at 7:41 on the clock. Ally Yamada answered with the first basket for the Pioneers, a 3-pointer. Sofia Neary had two jump shots outside the paint for a 7-3 Seahawk lead. Hannah Martin started a 9-0 run for the visitors with her 3-pointer. Briana Neary scored her first basket to stop the run at 1:45. Jessie Ruffner had an old-fashioned three-point play and Ella Sylvester sank a short jumper for the final five points of the period. All nine Salve Regina points came outside the paint. | Pioneers 17, Seahawks 9
• 2Q - Briana Neary's layup at 8:08 were the first points of the second quarter and the first bucket in the paint for the Seahawks. Smith then worked a 12-0 run to take a commanding 29-11 lead after Maggie Fleming's jumper in the paint at 3:18. Amanda Folan and Ashley Rourke (3-pointer) helped Salve Regina score six of the last nine points in the period. | Pioneers 32, Seahawks 17
• 3Q - Sofia Rosa and Sofia Neary exchanged baskets in the paint to start the scoring in the second half. After Briana Neary's free throws at 4:32, both teams had scored nine points in the period. Smith went on an 8-0 run before Amanda Folan closed the quarter with a three-point play on her driving layup. | Pioneers 49, Seahawks 29
• 4Q - Briana Neary opened the final frame with a second-chance layup. Sofia Neary's layup brought the deficit under 20 (51-33) at 9:03 before Jessie Ruffner had a basket and free throw for the Pioneers. Briana Neary had a layup at 8:18 for the final time Salve Regina trailed by fewer than 20 points. A 14-3 run for Smith gave the Pioneers their largest lead (30 points; 68-38) at 1:47. Marissa Forino had the last basket of the game, a pull-up jumper with 10 seconds to go. | Pioneers 71, Seahawks 43

NOTEWORTHY

• Briana Neary led the Seahawks with 10 points.
• Sofia Neary led the Seahawks off the boards with 11 rebounds.
• Amanda Folan dished six assists.
• Pioneers won each quarter by margins of 8, 7, 5, and 8.
• Smith College entered the week ranked #11 in the WBCA Poll and #17 in the D3hoops.com Poll.

QUOTING COACH HUGHES

"Such a tough Smith team; you just can't make the kind of mistakes we did and hope to compete with them. We will take these lessons learned and use them as we prepare for Wheaton." -- Seahawk head coach Cori Hughes

NEXT UP
Salve Regina plays at Wheaton College on Wednesday with a 7 p.m. tip-off.