Women's Basketball Wins First Game of Williams Tip-Off Classic, Topping Fitchburg State, 79-65
Box ScoreWilliamstown, Mass. - November 22, 2008 - The Springfield College women's basketball team outlasted a late second half surge by Fitchburg State College to notch a 79-65 win in the first game of the Williams Tip-Off Classic in Chandler Gymnasium on the Williams College campus.
Springfield improves to 2-1 on the year, while Fitchburg State drops to 1-2.
The Pride built a sizeable advantage by halftime, leading 42-26 at the break. Springfield continued their dominance in the second half, and amassed a thirty-point lead with 12 minutes remaining.
Fitchburg State, which struggled in the first half, shooting only 32.4% from the floor, began to find its shooting stroke in the final minutes of play. With 2:05 on the clock, the Falcons had cut the lead in half, trailing by fifteen at 77-62. But Springfield had time on its side, and Fitchburg State could not overcome the early hole they made for themselves.
Springfield's balanced offensive attack was a key to victory, as all five starters scored in double-digits. Senior forward Corey Finch continued to be outstanding for the Pride as she recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman point guard Kelly Murphy led all scorers with 17 points in her finest outing to date. Senior center Lauren O'Conner was not far behind with a 15-point effort on the night, while the two remaining starters, sophomore guards Kate LaBelle and Rachelle Walker tallied 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Fitchburg State received good efforts off the bench, as Jamie Bertilson and Rebecca Goreham scored 13 points apiece. Keri Averill contributed 8 points.
The Pride will face the winner of the Williams/Middlebury game in the championship match up tomorrow at 1:00. Fitchburg State College will play in the consolation game against the loser of tonight's 8 pm match up tomorrow at 3 pm.
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Head Coach Naomi Graves
Entering her 19th season as head coach in 2009-10, Naomi Graves has directed her squads to an impressive 266-117 record (.695 winning percentage) since joining the Division III ranks in 1995. Graves has led the Pride to eleven post-season bids in the past 14 years, including five berths in the NCAA Division III Tournament in the past nine years.
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