NORTHAMPTON, Mass. - Junior guard
Caitlin Blackman went 10-for-10 at the charity line over the final 40-seconds to help the Dickinson women's basketball team close out a wild 66-63 win over the eighth-ranked Pioneers of Smith College on Sunday afternoon at Ainsworth Gymnasium on Day Two of the Smith College Holiday Classic. The Devils victory snapped a 43-game win streak for the Pioneers inside Ainsworth Gymnasium.Â
After the two sides combined for three empty possessions Dickinson claimed the first points of the game on a layup from
Lindsey Hollenshead, before Sofia Rosa answered for the hosts to tie the game 2:30 in. The teams traded scores over the ensuing minutes with
Clair Marion and Rosa cashing in for their respective sides. The Red and White collected four of the next six points thanks to
Victoria Zerbe and Marion to take a slim 8-6 margin, until Rosa notched seven straight for an 13-8 edge with two minutes left.
Jenna Weinstein finally ended the DC scoring drought with a baseline jumper at the 8:57 mark. However, Ally Yamada stuck a triple just before the horn to make it 16-10.
The Pioneers continued to stretch their advantage a minute in with a layup for Jessie Ruffner, but Hollenshead and
Caitlin Blackman answered right back with jumpers to pull within 18-16. Two at the charity line for Marion capped a 6-0 DC run to draw level at 18-18, which was followed by two on the line from Weinstein for a 20-18 edge not even three minutes in. After Ruffner stuck two at the stripe, Marion picked off a Ruffner pass and went "coast to coast" for the finish and the 22-20 lead prompting a Smith timeout with 5:56 remaining. Baskets for Blackman and Weinstein made it 26-22, but an "old-fashioned" three-point play for Amelia Clairmont brought the Pioneers right back within one 26-25. A jumper for Ruffner and a solo by Blackman from the line knotted things at 27 inside the final two minutes. The seesaw continued the rest of the period with Blackman and Chapman scoring for DC, while Ruffner dropped four for Smith to keep it tied going to the break.
The first 90-seconds of the third went by scoreless until Ruffner buried a pull-up jumper, which was followed with a Marion basket. A three-ball for Yamada gave SC the lead, while at the other end of the floor the Devils seemed a little out of sorts opting for a timeout at the 3:47 mark down 36-33. Out of the break a bucket for Ruffner pushed it to five (38-33), but Hollenshead and Weinstein cut it to 38-37. Dickinson would reclaim the lead with a Chapman put-back off a Hollenshead miss and add-on when Weinstein hit to make it 41-38 inside the final three minutes of the quarter. Four straight for the hosts regained the lead 42-41, but the Devils were not deterred as Marion picked up a steal and layup. Unfortunately, Rosa chipped in a layup to give SC a slim 44-43 edge heading to the fourth.
Dickinson struggled from the floor early in the fourth missing their first three shots, while Yamada hit from downtown to push it out to 47-44. Chapman finally found the bottom of the bucket with 2:18 gone, but Selam Maher finished at the other end to make it 49-45. The Red and White drilled their first triple of the game with 5:28 left when Weinstein hit from the right-wing to cut the deficit down to 49-48. The game went by scoreless for about two minutes until
Victoria Zerbe hit a tough layup to make it 50-49 Devils, before Marion delivered from 15-feet (52-49). Dickinson pushed the advantage to four with a Marion trey from the top of the key, before she split a pair on the line to add one to the margin at 56-51. The Pioneers answered back with a tough finish by Rosa to close within three with 38.4 remaining. After two at the line for Blackman extended the gap to 58-53, Hannah Martin cashed in from three for Smith leaving it at 58-56. Two more by Blackman opened it to four, but a triple for Maher closed it back to one (60-59). However, despite another deep bucket by Maher, Blackman continued her dominance on the line sticking six more to finish off a wild 66-63 win.
Red Devil Leaders
Points - Marion (18), Blackman (17), Weinstein (13)
Assists - Marion (3), Zerbe (2), Chapman (1)
Rebounds - Marion (8), Chapman (7)
Pioneer Leaders
Points - Rosa and Ruffner (17), Yamada (11)
Assists - Yamada (3)
Rebounds - Rosa (10), Ruffner (7)
Next on the Court
Dickinson (6-4) returns to action on Saturday, January 6th at 1pm for a Centennial Conference clash against the Fords of Haverford College on the Main Line.
