Box Score Hartford, Conn. – Sophomore center Mackenzie Griffin
(Stamford, Conn.) totaled 13 points, five rebounds, five steals,
and two blocks to lead the Trinity College Bantams to a 58-57
victory over the visiting Smith College Pioneers in women's
basketball action this evening at Oosting Gymnasium. Trinity
improves to 9-5 overall with its fifth consecutive win, while Smith
falls to 5-8 with its first setback in four games.
With the game tied 52-52 with 2:32 remaining
after a jumper by Smith junior forward Rose Drummond (Rye, N.H.),
Trinity senior guard Moriah Sweeney (Ramsey, N.J.) stole the ball
and raced down the court for a fast-break layup that gave the
Bantams the lead for good. Griffin came up with a steal on
Smith's ensuing possession, and senior Taylor Murtaugh
(Bronx, N.Y.) scored on a put-back to give Trinity a four-point
lead at 56-52 with just over a minute left on the clock. The
Pioneers scored quickly on a drive by Drummond and forced a Bantam
turnover, but Drummond's fall-away three-point try with six
seconds left fell way short. Senior guard Abby Hancock
(Casco, Maine) drained a pair from the charity stripe for a 58-54
Bantam lead, and Smith junior guard Paulina Solis (Santa Ana,
Calif.) hit a long trey to cut it to a single point, but time
expired.
Trinity led, 22-16 just before the midpoint
of the first half after a pair of free throws by Murtaugh, but
Smith used a 7-0 run to take a 23-22 lead at the five-minute mark
on a layup by Solis. Senior forward Shantel Hanniford
(Nantucket, Mass.) gave Trinity the lead right back off a nice dish
by sophomore guard Alexa Menard (Wallingford, Conn.), and the
Bantams never trailed again. Menard made a steal and a layup
to give Trinity a 31-23 lead with 1:13 left before the half, but
two free throws by Pioneer senior forward Sydney Parkmond
(Waterbury, Conn.) sent the teams to the locker rooms with Trinity
leading, 31-25. Bantam senior forward Hannah Brickley
(Melrose, Mass.) led all scorers with 13 points at the break.
Trinity extended its advantage to double
digits for the only time at 37-27 on a put-back by Brickley, but
Solis answered immediately with a three-pointer for Smith. A
jumper by Griffin gave the Bantams a 45-37 lead with 9:29 on the
clock, but an 8-0 Smith spurt including game-tying free throws by
junior center Lauren Weston (Florence, Mass.) knotted the game at
45-45 with 7:22 left to play. Hancock drilled a three-pointer
from the left wing for a 48-45 Trinity lead moments later, but the
Pioneers tied it again at 50-50 on another Weston free throw.
Murtaugh hit a jumper from the right corner just before Drummond
tied the game for the final time
Brickley paced Trinity in scoring with 15
points and rebounding with seven boards to go with three
steals. Murtaugh scored 12 points off the Bantam bench, and
Sweeney finished with six rebounds and four assists. Solis
led all scorers with 18 points and added four assists and three
steals, while Parkmond totaled 14 points and a game-high nine
boards for the Pioneers. Trinity forced 24 turnovers but
committed 19. Smith attempted 12 free throws to 11 for the
Bantams, but its seven made were one less than Trinity.