NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – No. 6/6 Smith College grabbed an early lead and never looked back in a 88-38 NEWMAC win over Wellesley College basketball on Wednesday night.

The Bears (17-1 Overall, 4-0 NEWMAC) had 14 different players score at least one basket. Junior Virginia Johnson (Minneapolis, Minn.) led the team with 15 points and five made threes. Classmate Hannah Martin (North Andover, Mass.) assisted on five buckets.

The Blue (8-9 Overall, 2-2 NEWMAC) were led by 12 points from sophomore Ava Shane (Plano, Texas). Classmate Proud Techarungchaikul (Bangkok, Thailand) hit three deep balls for nine points while junior Trinity Barrow (Evans Ga.) and sophomore Else Kunze-Hoeg (Eagan, Minn.) both pulled down six rebounds.

The hosts took a commanding 19-4 lead after one quarter. After Shane hit a jumper 28 seconds into the game, the Bears scored 13 straight points and didn't allow another basket until 2:34 of the opening frame. 

The Bears shot 50 percent from the field in the second quarter, doubling the margin to 30 by halftime, 45-15. Shane was Wellesley's leading scorer in the first half with seven points while first-year Tanvi Agarwal (Woodinville, Wash.) supplied five.

After three quarters of play, Smith had run the score up to 70-31. It was a better offensive quarter for the Blue, including a pair of threes from Techarungchaikul. The visitors went 6-for-14 (42.9%) shooting against its top-ten foe in the third.

Smith finished off an 88-38 game shooting 35-of-70 (50%) as a team with 40 points off of the bench.

The Blue return to Dorothy Towne Fieldhouse to host #EarnTheW Day versus Wheaton College at 1:00 PM on Saturday, January 31. Smith hosts Springfield College at 2:00 PM that same day.