Women's Basketball Hangs On for 75-68 Overtime Victory Over Mount Holyoke in NEWMAC Action
Box Score/Play-by-PlaySPRINGFIELD, Mass., January 31, 2007 – Springfield College sophomore center Lauren O’Connor (Valhalla, N.Y.) recorded her ninth double-double of the season with 22 points and 14 rebounds on 12-of-12 shooting from the free throw line as the Pride hung on to beat the Lyons of Mount Holyoke College, 75-68, in a crucial New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) tilt.
SC improves to 9-10 overall on the season and 5-4 in conference play with the victory, as Mount Holyoke drops to 13-7 overall and 5-3 in NEWMAC action. Pride sophomore forward Corey Finch (Hanover, Pa.) netted a career-high 23 points in the win to go along with eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Junior guards Christine Cotter (Stoughton, Mass.) and Tara McCarthy (Bristol, R.I.) each chipped in with 10 points and six assists.
SC came out firing in the first half, shooting 60 percent (3-5) from beyond the three-point arc and 48.6 percent (17-35) from the floor to build a 17-point halftime lead, 39-22. The Lyons would not go away quietly in the second stanza, however, as Mount Holyoke slowly chipped away at the Pride lead to pull even at 52-all with just 4:46 left in regulation. From the beginning of the second half until the 4:46 mark, the Lyons went on a 30-13 run to pull even.
With the score tied at 52 apiece, SC’s Finch scored seven straight points, as the Pride went on a 7-2 run to take a 59-54 lead with just 2:59 left. Mount Holyoke found a way to come back once again, as senior guard Joeanna Silvey drained a three with 55 seconds remaining to knot the score at 60-all. After a lay-in from SC senior guard Amanda Hill (Cheshire, Conn.) to put the Pride up two (62-60) with 37 seconds left, Lyon sophomore guard Katie Austen hit a jumper just inside the three-point arc to tie the game with 26 ticks left on the clock. SC failed to score on the ensuing possession, and the game was headed for an extra session.
In overtime, the two teams traded buckets, and it was once again tied at 68 apiece with 2:54 left. The Pride then closed the extra period out on a 7-0 run to seal the hard-fought contest. In its 7-0 run, SC made seven of eight free throw attempts to ice the game.
Mount Holyoke was led by Silvey’s 23 points, five rebounds and three assists. Senior guard Angela Astuccio added a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds, and junior forward Marisa Barone scored 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
The Pride will next host Wellesley College in yet another NEWMAC match-up on Saturday afternoon, February 3rd, at 1:00 p.m.
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Head Coach Naomi Graves
Entering her 18th season as head coach in 2008-09, Naomi Graves has directed her squads to an impressive 250-106 record (.702 winning percentage) since joining the Division III ranks in 1995. Graves has led the Pride to eleven post-season bids in the past 13 years, including five berths in the NCAA Division III Tournament in the past eight years.
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