Northampton, Mass. - Senior Taylor Higgins (Merrick, N.Y.) converted an old-fashioned three-point play to put the visiting Trinity College Bantams ahead by six with 1:50 to play, and the Bantams held off a Smith College Pioneer rally to seal a 63-61 win this evening at Ainsworth Gymnasium.  The Bantams improve to 8-15 while snapping a two-game skid while the Pioneers fall to 7-14.

Smith opened the game with a 6-2 run, highlighted by four from first-year Samantha Alakai (Honolulu, Hawai). Junior center Mackenzie Griffin (Stamford, Conn.) broke the ice for the Bantams with four of her team-best 23 points. The Pioneers went on a 9-0 run over the next 4:37 to take a 17-7 lead with 8:27 left in the first stanza. Junior guard Christina Raiti (Plainview, N.Y.) answered with five of the next seven points for the Bantams, bringing the guests to within three (17-14). A layup by Griffin with 50 seconds to play put the visitors ahead by three, 31-28, but Alakai drained a three with six seconds on the clock to tie the contest, 31-31 at the half.

After te Pioneers then took a 36-35 lead following an Alakai free throw with 15:58 to play, Trinity freshman Emily Llerena (New Milford, Conn.) responded with her only basket of the contest to give the Bantams the lead once again. Trinity then increased their cushion to five with 12:34 on the clock. Smit sophomore Mandy Castro (San Diego, Calif.) sank her first three-pointer of the game to knot the contest at 46-46 with 10:12 to play. The contest remained close the rest of the way, before Higgins put Trinity ahead by six at 62-56.  Smith scored the next five points, but the Pioneers missed a go-ahead layup with two seconds left and Trinity senior forward Melanie Mills (Woodstock, Conn.) grabbed the rebound and made a late free throw.

Griffin added 13 rebounds to her 23 points for her third straight double-double while Raiti finished with 12 points. Higgins and junior guard Alexa Menard (Wallingford, Conn.) each added 10 points for Trinity.  Alakai recorded personal-bests in points (24) and rebounds (9) while Holland added 13 points, three rebounds and two assists.