Smith College Downs Women’s Basketball, 85-64

Box Score

CHICOPEE, Mass. – Elms College junior forward Erika Murphy (Torrington, Conn.) scored a team-best 20 points and hauled in 10 rebounds, but Smith College received a double figure output from all five starters including a game-best 24 points from Rosa Drummond (Rye, N.H.) to help pace the Pioneers to a 85-64 victory in Tuesday evening's non-conference women's basketball game at Picknelly Arena.

With the loss, Elms falls to 1-3 on the season while Smith improves to 3-2 overall.

Smith started the contest on a 16-2 run in the opening 3:42 capped by a three-pointer from Drummond. Elms' junior guard Katie Condon (Sandy Hook, Conn.) halted the Pioneers' run connecting on a pair of free throws that sparked a 16-7 run by the Blazers to pull them to within five points at the 11:15 mark of the first half.

Smith built its lead back to 12 points to post a 32-20 lead before Elms answered with an 11-2 run to cut the deficit to three at 34-31 at the 6:39 mark. Murphy hit a pair of jumpers while sophomore guard Jen Normandie (Westford, Mass.) converted a layup, drained a pair of free throws and swished a trey to highlight the run.

From there, the Pioneers scored 12 of the next 14 points to extend its lead to 13 with 2:00 minutes to play in the first half and closed out the first 20 minutes with a 50-39 lead.

Smith received three baskets from three different players in the first 2:54 of the second frame to stake a 17 point cushion. The Pioneers maintained at least a 13 point lead through most of the second half until three straight baskets from Elms including one each from Murphy, freshman guard Marisabel Santiago (Springfield, Mass.) and freshman forward Nicolette Martin (Colchester, Conn.) pulled the Blazers to within 11 at 68-57 with 7:13 to play in the game.

Smith then used a 10-4 run to push its lead back to 17 with 3:11 remaining in the game and closed out the contest by scoring seven of the final 11 points to post a 21-point 85-64 win.

Normandie added 18 points, a block and two steals in the loss while Condon dished out seven assists and netted nine points and added three steals.

Blazers' freshman guard Taylor Darby (Bristol, Conn.) scored five points off the bench for Elms on 2 of 3 shooting that included a three-pointer.

Smith's Amanda Zokoske (Jacksonville, Fla.) totaled 17 points and 11 boards, while Devon Quattrocchi (Brewster, N.Y.) and Marissa Munoz-Ruiz (Fairfield, Calif.) totaled 13 points apiece. Sydney Parkmond (Waterbury, Conn.) rounded out the Pioneers' double-digit scorers with 10.

Drummond finished with 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals while Munoz-Ruiz notched six assists in the winning effort.

Elms returns to the hardwood on Tuesday, Nov. 30 when it travels to Anna Maria College for a non-conference game. Start time is set for 7:00 p.m. in Paxton, Mass.