The sixth seed women’s basketball team lost by a score of 77-65 to third seed Smith College in the NEWMAC quarterfinals.
This is the second season in a row the Lions lost in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinals after the Massachusetts Institute of Technology defeated them in 2019.
The Lions defeated the Pioneers by a score of 68-66 during the regular season on Jan. 18.
The Lions led for most of the first quarter, with their largest lead coming with less than seven minutes of play in the period. The Lions never regained the lead after falling behind with less than four minutes remaining in the second quarter. The Pioneers led 42-35 going into halftime.
Pioneer freshman guard Jessie Ruffner scored 15 points in the second half. Freshman forward Morgan Morrison contributed 13 points and made 50 percent of her free throws.
For the Lions, senior guard Quinn Madden led the Lions with 22 points, including two three-point shots. Junior guard Rachel Davey scored 13 points along with making three of her four free throws.
The Lions accumulated 25 fouls during the game, and junior forward Sam Boyle fouled out with just over five minutes remaining. The Pioneers made 16 out of 28 free throws.
Senior guards Madden, Kate Foultz and Natalie Clydesdale all played in their final collegiate game on Wednesday. Clydesdale earned the NEWMAC women’s basketball defensive player of the week on Feb. 23 for her performance during the game against Worcester Polytechnic Institute that helped the Lions clinch their playoff spot.
