SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's basketball team fell to host Springfield College, 69-40, this afternoon in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference play at Blake Arena in Springfield, Mass.
The Lyons slip to 5-16 overall and 1-6 in conference play, while the Pride improve to 13-8 and 4-3.
Springfield controlled the boards, owning a 53-34 rebounding difference, leading to a 16-0 second chance points advantage. The Pride were also very opportunistic, outscoring Wheaton, 24-2, in points off turnovers. Springfield shot 40% (28-70) for the game, while holding the Lyons to a 29.3% (17-58) mark, including 21.1% (4-19) from three-point range.
First year forward Darlene Tashobya (Kampala, Uganda) scored 14 points on 6-9 shooting to go with nine rebounds and two assists for Wheaton, while senior forward Regan Keyter (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) netted nine points, grabbed eight rebounds, picked up a pair of steals and blocked three shots.
Senior guard Amanda Leary (Westbury, N.Y.) posted a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds in addition to two steals and junior guard Natalie Lucas (Madison, Conn.) contributed with 12 points, three rebounds, two steals and an assist for the Pride.
Springfield scored the first seven points of the game, capped by a jumper from sophomore Madison Lopez (Bronx, N.Y.) at the 5:21 mark of the first quarter. The Lyons countered with a 7-3 burst, including a layup from sophomore guard Daniella MacDonald (Newtown, Pa.) to pull Wheaton within 10-7 with 3:54 to go in the period. The Pride scored 12 unanswered points, paced by four points from junior guard Claire Finney (Haverhill, Mass.), to close out the quarter with a 22-7 cushion.
Springfield continued its momentum, ripping off eight straight points to begin the second quarter, led by four points from first year forward Ava Mamone (Troy, N.Y.), to increase the Pride's margin to 30-7 with 6:37 remaining in the quarter. Senior forward Carrie Hess (Shrewsbury, Mass.) later made a layup to give the home team its largest lead of the half at 40-16 with 48 ticks left in the half. Junior guard Mary McClintock (Essex Junction, Vt.) converted a layup for the final points of the quarter for the Lyons to make it 40-18 going into the intermission.
Springfield continued to apply pressure to its guests, putting together a 12-2 stretch, led by eight points from Leary, to take a 52-18 advantage with 4:48 to play in the third quarter. Sophomore forward Ruth Boles (South Portland, Maine) knocked down a jumper with 32 ticks left in the third quarter to give the Pride a 58-22 lead. Mamone later made a layup to give the Pride their largest lead at 64-26 with 7:52 showing in the fourth quarter. Wheaton closed out the game with a 14-5 advantage, led by 11 points from Tashobya, to cut the difference to 69-40 for the Lyons.
Wheaton returns to the court on Wednesday, February 11 when it hosts NEWMAC foe Massachusetts Institute of Technology at 7:00 p.m. at Emerson Gymnasium, while Springfield heads to South Hadley, Mass. to take on league foe Mount Holyoke College on the same day at the same time.
