Not even three minutes into the NCAA Division 3 women’s basketball national championship game, it was clear Smith College had its hands full with undefeated NYU — the reigning Div. 3 champions which held a 61-game winning streak entering Saturday. The Pioneers were well aware of just how dominant the Violets are considering they lost to them in last year’s title game, but after NYU ripped off the game’s first nine points, the journey to the top of the mountain became even steeper.

Smith fell behind 26-8 following the opening quarter, and trailed 41-22 at halftime. NYU kept its foot on the gas en route to a 77-49 victory over the Pioneers, the second consecutive title for the Violets in the first-ever D3 title game rematch. Throughout the entire season, NYU was head and shoulders above its competition. The Violets held an astonishing average margin of victory of 37.4 points as Saturday’s win extended their streak to 62 straight triumphs. The closest game they had all season was a 19-point win.

Smith had made play after play time and time again this postseason to work its way back to a Final Four and national championship despite losing its top three scorers from a year ago. But once more the Pioneers ran into a buzz saw and fell just short of the ultimate goal.

“Credit to NYU, they came out and played a really good first quarter in a lot of facets of the game,” Smith head coach Lynn Hersey said. “As a team, we’re mature enough to understand that they beat us in the first quarter. That was the game. Our group, I think we know what we needed to do to have a better result tonight and we fell short of that. That’s something that we have to own, and we’ll do it together. It’s a good learning experience for all of us.”

Three years ago, Smith broke through and booked a trip to the Sweet Sixteen. The next season (2022-23), the Pioneers took it a step further and made it to their first-ever Final Four. Last campaign, they followed it up by making it to the championship bout. This year, the only thing left to do was win it to continue on their upward trajectory.

But Smith could never overcome the slow start. The Pioneers hung tough with NYU in the second quarter (15-14 score in favor of the Violets), but they still found themselves down by 19 entering the final 20 minutes of action.

More of the same first-quarter woes — turnovers, missed open shots and defensive lapses — filled the Pioneers’ third frame. They trailed 63-36 heading to the fourth, and although they played even with NYU in the quarter, they couldn’t find a way back in the game.

“We got a little into the energy of the moment and just didn’t execute the way we typically do,” Hersey said. “This stage, you’re playing a team that’s undefeated, you can’t really afford that many possessions and not having high execution. We fell short in that area on a couple different fronts.”

Ally Landau scored a team-high 17 points for Smith, Hannah Martin added 13 points, Uta Nakamura scored seven and Jane Loo tossed in six points. Landau, Loo and Jazmyn Washington were the trio of seniors on the Pioneers roster this season, and they played massive roles in the team’s success all winter long.

“Ally, [Jazmyn], Jane… these are people who have made such an impression in our program, and they deserve all of our love, all our attention,” Hersey said. “We’re going to give it to them tonight.”

While Saturday’s result is likely what will stick in their minds in the coming days, Hersey made it clear that it doesn’t define their season. Smith won its fifth-straight NEWMAC tournament title and advanced to a third-straight Final Four this year. It can be chalked up as yet another season of success for Hersey and the Pioneers.

“To our players on our team, obviously I’m indebted to their hard work, their belief and their pride in who we are and what we’re about,” Hersey said. “I love them all so much. This doesn’t define the entire season, this is a part of our journey. But it’s good, it gives us something to keep fighting for. Our underclassmen will understand that, and our veterans will be a part of it in a different way now.”