NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) – The Smith College Women’s basketball team was selected as the number one overall seed in the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Tournament.

The Smith College Pioneers are now 26-1 and have won 20 games in a row. They just beat Babson in the NEWMAC championship and now the Pioneers are looking to continue their dominance and win the national title.

The Pioneers automatically qualified for the NCAA tournament winning their conference but they found out on Monday during the Division 3 Selection Show that they are the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed.

Smith will host first and second round games at Ainsworth Gymnasium in Northampton, beginning with an opening-round matchup against SUNY-Morrisville on Friday and if the Pioneers get through to the second round, they’ll play the winner of Marymount or St. John Fisher on Saturday.

Head Coach Lynn Hersey told 22News, “It’s quite an honor but I also think that it’s one that our team has really earned so being able to lock up that number 1 seed kind of validates all the hard work we’ve put in along the way, and so it should be an exciting environment for women’s basketball, and we’re excited for the opportunity on the national stage to kind of bring our brand of basketball to the NCAA tournament.”

The Pioneers have never won a national title but have fallen just short the past few years. Coach Hersey told 22News that she and her team are looking at it like it’s a six game season now, win or go home.

Smith defeated Trinity College last week 63-46 to move on to Saturday’s semi-final game against number four ranked Transylvania University. Unfortunately they were not able to get past Transylvania, losing 76-65.

Smith had a commendable season only suffering their second loss to end the season 30-2.