02/02/2008
Women's Basketball Defeats Smith, 70-47

WORCESTER, MA. 2/2/08- The Clark University women's basketball team repeated today in its second match-up of the season with Smith College as they defeated the Pioneers, 70-47, in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action at the Kneller Athletic Center on Saturday afternoon. Clark snapped a four-game losing streak and improves to 7-11 (3-4 NEWMAC). Smith falls to 3-13 overall and 1-6 in league play.

Sarah Roderigue (Oakland, Me.) led the Cougars with 25 points, on 4-5 shooting from three-point land, and six rebounds. Sara Hagstrom (Yarmouth, Me.) was another force for Clark chipping in with 12 points and six steals. Nicole LeVeque (Billerica, Mass.) and Jess Lamothe (Westboro, Mass.) also backed up the team with nine and eight points respectively.

Clark, which shot 54.5% from beyond the arc in the first half, was also solid defensively. They scored 21 of their 41 first half points off of 17 Smith turnovers. Hagstrom led the defensive endeavor with four of her six steals occurring in the first frame.

Leading 13-6, Clark scored 11 unanswered points to take a 24-6 advantage at the 10:17 mark of the first half. Roderigue scored seven of those points during the run. Smith rallied to within 13 (13-26) on a jumper by Lisa Marie Vuono (Lyndhurst, N.J.) with 8:02 remaining, but Clark used a 15-9 burst sealed with a baseline jumper from Jess Lamothe (Westboro, Ma.) and a lay-up from Roderigue for a 41-22 halftime advantage.

In the second half, Clark kept up with their tenacious defense, forcing 11 more Smith turnovers throughout the remainder of the game.

Jennifer Lindsey's (Oklahoma City, OK) basket closed the gap to within 14 (39-53) at the 10:09 mark, but it was not enough to push the Cougars off track.

Berit Schelde (Holstebro, Denmark) led the Pioneers with 15 points and Laura Miller (Minneapolis, Minn.) added seven points and ten rebounds.

Conference play will continue for both teams next week. Clark will travel to Mt. Holyoke on Wednesday (7p.m), while Smith will host Coast Guard that same day (7 p.m.).

By: Sarah Hunsucker '08, Sports Information Intern