NORTHAMPTON, Mass. -- The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's basketball team was defeated by host No. 5 Smith College, 76-40, this evening in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference play at Ainsworth Gymnasium in Northampton, Mass. 

The Lyons fall to 12-9 overall and 2-4 in league action, while the Pioneers, who are ranked in the most recent D3hoops.com national coaches poll, win their 13th straight game to improve to 19-1 and 5-0.

Smith shot 46.7% (28-60), including 9-20 (45%) from three-point range, while holding Wheaton to 30.8% (16-52) and 17.6% (3-17) from long range. The Pioneers were extremely efficient with 23 assists on their 28 field goals and forced the Lyons into 29 turnovers for a 37-15 points off turnovers advantage. 

First year guard Kiki Walters (Fleetwood, Pa.) led Wheaton with 14 points on 7-13 shooting and added three rebounds, two assists, a steal and a blocked shot, while sophomore guard Greta Minos (Boston, Mass.) posted a double-double of 11 points and 11 boards in addition to a steal. 

Senior forward Morgan Morrison (Detroit, Mich.) and junior guard Amelia Clairmont (Laconia, N.H.) both scored 18 points to pace Smith. Morrison was 7-10 from the field and added an assist, a steal and a block in 23 minutes, while Clairmont canned four three-pointers in addition to a pair of rebounds, a steal and a game-high six assists. Junior guard Ally Yamada (Seal Beach, Calif.) came off the bench to hit three trifectas to contribute to a 13-point effort and added two assists in 20 minutes, while graduate student forward Katelyn Pickunka (Westhampton, Mass.) chipped in with 12 points on 5-8 from the field, seven rebounds, three steals and an assist.

Morrison fueled a 15-3 opening run with six points to give the home team a 12-point lead with 4:18 left in the first quarter. The Pioneers never trailed in the game and owned a 21-10 advantage after the first period of play.

Smith scored the first six points of the second quarter as part of a 17-2 stretch to increase its margin to 38-12 with 4:09 remaining in the opening half. Yamada (eight) and Morrison (six) combined for 14 points to pace the run. The nationally-ranked Pioneers took a 45-16 cushion into the intermission.

Claremont converted a layup at the 2:10 mark of the third quarter to give Smith a 60-26 lead, before Walters and Clairmont traded layups to make it a 62-28 score with one quarter to play.

Yamada drilled a three-pointer 20 seconds into the fourth quarter to increase the Pioneers' lead to 65-28, before the Lyons ripped off six straight points capped by a jumper from first year forward Nasha Arnold (North Reading, Mass.) to cut the deficit 65-34 at the 7:05 mark of the fourth quarter. 

Wheaton returns home to face No. 16 Babson College on Saturday, February 4 at 1:00 p.m. in Emerson Gymnasium for a NEWMAC tilt, while Smith hosts conference opponent United States Coast Guard Academy on the same day at 2:00 p.m.