AMHERST — Samantha Smith has no problem playing a role for the Babson College women’s basketball team.
In fact, she is relishing the opportunity to set screens and play solid help defense for the Beavers in her freshman campaign.
The Greenfield High School graduate made her return to Western Massachusetts in a 66-51 win for Babson over No. 22 Ithaca College at Amherst College’s LeFrak Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon.
The game was part of the Amherst Women’s Basketball Tip Off Classic. The Beavers return to action back at LeFrak Gym on Monday against the top-ranked Mammoths at 5 p.m.
Smith’s chemistry with her new team is slowly building during the early stages of her collegiate career.
“This new group of girls has really taken me in,” Smith said. “We have a flow. We all get along.”
Smith logged 19 minutes with two points, five rebounds, a steal and two blocks on Sunday. The minutes, blocks, and rebounds were all a season-high.
Smith’s role on offense is mostly setting screens for Babson’s talented group of guards.
“It’s not about the points anymore,” Smith said. “It’s the little things like the boards and the assists. That’s what will get us the win.”
The injury from her senior season of high school is not an issue anymore. Smith partially tore her meniscus playing softball for the Green Wave last spring.
She rehabbed diligently at home and was ready to play basketball again in the summer.
“I got really lucky,” Smith said. “I healed pretty fast.”
Megan Bauman led the Beavers with 18 points while fellow guard Emily Bonifacic added 15.
Bauman’s play sparked a run in the third quarter that helped the Beavers pull away.
Babson outscored Ithaca 21-5 in the third quarter.
Smith’s lone bucket came on an inbound play where she flashed to the rim after her defender got caught up on a screen. The play ended a 7-0 run for the Bombers in the second quarter.
On defense, Smith focuses on help defense primarily.
“If they get beat I am there to help,” Smith said. “Just really being the support system on defense.”
A great example of Smith’s defense came in the third quarter when the Bombers desperately needed a bucket to end a long scoring drought.
Ithaca’s Grace Cannon drove hard to the rim only to have Smith slide over and make the block while maintaining possession.
Going against players similar in size has created a challenge that wasn’t always there at the high school level for the Green Wave.
“There wasn’t always competition for where I was playing,” Smith said. “Just because I was the tallest and the biggest. So I like having to re-start and push myself.”
There were plenty of Greenfield friends and family in attendance to see Smith play college basketball on Sunday.
“It was really nice to play in a spot that’s close to home,” Smith said. “Obviously being two hours away they can’t make every game like they used to. It was cool to see everyone here.”
The Beavers are now 2-1 this season and Smith’s minutes have gradually increased. In Babson’s season-opener, she played three minutes against Union College before upping that number to 13 minutes against Western New England.
