NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (February 25, 2026) – Top-seeded Smith College, ranked No. 5 in this week's Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division III poll, reversed a ten point Emerson College lead after a quarter of play by halftime and shot over 60-percent from the floor over the final three quarters to pull away for an 80-59 victory in quarterfinal round action of the 2026 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) women's basketball tournament at Ainsworth Gymnasium tonight.
Smith (25-1, 11-0 NEWMAC) will continue the defense of its five-straight NEWMAC Championships on Friday night when it hosts fifth-seeded Springfield College (16-10, 6-5 NEWMAC) in a semifinal here at Ainsworth Gym at 7 p.m. The Pride advanced with a 64-50 victory at No. 4 MIT in their quarterfinal matchup in Cambridge tonight. Emerson sees its season close with a 14-12 record overall, including 5-6 in NEWMAC play to earn a spot in the Conference Tournament for the second-straight year and seventh time since joining the NEWMAC in 2013.
Junior Virginia Johnson led four from Smith in double figures with a game-high 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 2-for-4 from three-point range, with five rebounds, four assists and a blocked shot. Junior Uta Nakamura helped provide a spark off the Bears bench with 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting, draining her lone three-point try, with seven rebounds, four assists and five steals, while classmate Hannah Martin contributed 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, drilling all three from beyond the arc, with two boards, four assists and two steals. Sophomore Mya Willams chipped in 12 points, three assists and three steals off the bench to round out Smith's double figure scorers.
Gould finished with a team-high 18 points for the Lions, just two points shy of her season-best. (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard/RJBSports.com) |
Senior Bri Frongillo and sophomore Lindsay Gould combined for 35 points to lead Emerson. Gould scored a team-high 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 4-for-9 from beyond the arc, while Frongillo added 17 points, canning 5-of-9 three-pointers, with two steals. Junior Kaylin O'Meara chipped in seven points and five rebounds for the Lions.
Emerson, much like the regular season encounter between the two, got off to a hot start, with Gould and Frongillo connecting from deep to score the first six points of the night as the Lions raced to a 13-point lead (15-2) midway through the opening frame with five three-pointers. Three of the triples came from Frongillo who scored nine of her 17 points during the opening wave.
Emerson made five of its first six three-pointers in the first five minutes but missed its final six and Smith crept back within ten (21-11) heading to the second quarter. Smith outscored the Lions 26-6 in the second quarter to flip the margin by the half, hitting 10-of-15 shots (66.7%), including 3-for-4 from deep, while Emerson managed just 2-of-12 shooting – both buckets from deep, with Martin netting nine points and Wiliams adding eight in the frame. The Bears scored the first six points of the quarter, including four from Williams, to draw within four (21-17) less than three minutes into the second.
Junior Kendra Dodd drained the first of Emerson's two threes in the quarter to put the Lions on the board in the frame, but Smith followed with the next 12 points, sparked by a Martin triple, to take its first lead of the night (25-24) with a Williams layup and extend it to five (29-24) after a Nakamura steal and layup with three minutes left before the half.
Martin capped the second quarter with a three-pointer to send Smith into halftime with a ten-point lead (37-27). Gould opened the second half with a three-pointer to draw Emerson back within seven (37-30), but the Bears followed with an 18-4 run to take a 21-point lead (55-34) after a jumper from senior Selam Maher, while Johnson chipped in with eight points, including a pair of threes.
Smith again made 10-of-15 shots in the third quarter, including 3-of-4 from three, and outscored Emerson 14-2 in points off turnovers in the frame to assume control of the game on its way to punching a ticket to the NEWMAC semifinals again.
Noteworthy
- Frongillo closes out a record-breaking three-year run with Emerson with a program-best 1,305 points in her 64 games with the program – finishing with 1,361 collegiate points overall, including her 56 as a first year at Bryant University.
- Frongillo scored in double-figures for the 61st time in her collegiate career (17th this season).
- Gould scored in double-figures for the 11th time in her first collegiate season, leading Emerson in scoring for the fourth time.
- Smith rebounded from its 5-of-17 (29.4%) shooting in the first quarter to finish at 55% overall, including 6-for-9 (66.7%) from beyond the arc, by connecting at over 60-percent in each of the final three quarters.
- The Bears took advantage of Emerson's 22 turnovers with a 31-10 advantage in points off, with their 16 steals aiding in a 22-2 margin in fastbreak points.
- Nakamura and Williams led a Smith bench that outscored the Emerson reserves 36-13.
- Emerson falls in the opening round of its conference tournament in its tenth-straight appearance dating back to the 2009 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament when it reached the championship game.
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