NORTHAMPTON — A college basketball team doesn’t wind up in Sweet 16, Final Four and national championship games in consecutive seasons coincidentally. And if you walk into Ainsworth Gymnasium at some point this winter, it’s evident why Smith College has done so over the last three years.

Yes, of course, the Pioneers have been loaded with individual talent, but their success stems far beyond that. Head coach Lynn Hersey’s players don’t just put the ball in the hoop efficiently or rely on skill alone to win them games — that much was clear during Smith’s 89-39 rout of Oswego State on Monday afternoon in the Pioneers’ annual holiday tournament.

The unselfishness is off the charts. Each player communicates on defense for the entire 30 seconds of the shot clock, their rotations are always on time and the five on the floor rebound at all moments.

Offensively, the relentless energy from guards Hannah Martin, Jane Loo and Ally Landau is exhausting for opposing backcourts. Smith pushes the ball up the court with a pass (a coach’s dream), swings it around quickly and the Pioneers execute set plays seemingly each time Hersey belts one out.

It’s poetry in motion.

“We emphasize our ability to come out and make shots throughout the game,” Hersey said. “We certainly have the legs to do that, and we hit the three ball with a lot of consistency. I give all the credit to the team with how they approached the practices leading into our games. We have a lot of different pieces, so we gain the advantage of being able to go to those pieces when we see different matchups and execute.”

And that’s not to mention those on the bench who never stop shouting words of encouragement, and stand up to greet anyone who checks out of the game. During a timeout, all 16 players’ eyes are glued to Hersey — listening intently.

The Pioneers do every little thing right. For any basketball fan, watching Smith College basketball is as entertaining as it gets in the sport.

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“A lot of it is the culture and the experiences we’ve had coming into this season,” Hersey said of her team’s habits. “It’s what we know. It’s our identity. That’s who we try to be every single year and we want to uphold that standard. It takes a buy in from the players to do those small details really well, to buy into a role and to really invest for the group. We’ll hopefully keep building off of that.”

Landau scored the game’s first four points, and although Oswego State hung around in the adolescent stages of the opening quarter, Smith turned it on in a hurry. Loo and Martin buried 3s before Loo cashed in on a pair of mid-range jumpers shortly after, then Virginia Johnson came off the bench to knock down a long ball and the foul – cashing in a four-point play to put the hosts ahead 23-8.

Jillian Nowicki subbed in and immediately splashed a contested 3 from the top of the key as well, capping off what was a 22-4 flurry to end the first frame.

The bench continued to be a theme for Smith. Every player that suited up saw action on Monday, and 13 different white jerseys scored points. Every time a new Pioneers player got a bucket, those on the bench erupted in support. They scored a whopping 43 bench points compared to Oswego State’s 14. Smith rode its momentum into halftime ahead 45-22, shooting 58 percent from the field (50 percent from 3).

“This is the future, right, the players coming off the bench for us,” Hersey said. “They have to learn that we are about execution, and that’s what we pride ourselves on in terms of the coaching staff and the players. It speaks to our good habits, good discipline and good IQ for us to be executing for 40 minutes with a bunch of different rotations in there. We share the ball and understand where it needs to go. Our bench played great today.”

The third quarter featured more of the same havoc-wreaking defense from Smith, as Oswego State was held without a point for the first four minutes. And just like the lockdown defense, the Pioneers’ hot shooting also returned from the locker room. A trio of Martin swishes from behind the arc led Smith to 28 points in the frame as it outscored the Lancers by 20 to take a commanding 73-30 lead.

Smith’s reserves took it from there, with Nowicki (11 points), Maggie Fleming (nine points), Kate Hackney (four points) and Mya Williams (four points) leading the charge. Uta Nakamura orchestrated the Pioneers’ second unit to perfection.

Since losing to UMass Dartmouth – Smith’s only defeat of the season – back on Nov. 20, the Pioneers are 4-0 with all wins coming by 20 points or more. Oswego State was the latest victim of a Smith smashing.

“We had a lot of new pieces coming into a team that went the distance last year,” Hersey said. “Now, you can see our progression of how we’ve started to mature in our roles. The feeling of losing a game early in the year that you definitely felt like you had chances to win is certainly a motivator. It’s not just about winning, it’s how we win. That’s something I want them to stay really focused on.”

Landau poured in a game-high 19 points, Martin cashed five 3s en route to a 17-point afternoon and Loo tossed in eight points and a game-high 10 rebounds, the trio pacing Smith’s starters. The Pioneers recorded 17 assists on Monday.

Smith College sits at 8-1 and has one more contest before entering 2025. The Pioneers host Roger Williams on Tuesday at 3 p.m. to round out their holiday tournament.