Blue Basketball Drops NEWMAC Contest to Springfield, 54-43

BABSON PARK, Mass. — Despite a game-high 18 points from senior Morgyne Weaver (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Wellesley College women's basketball dropped a 54-43 decision to visiting Springfield College on Saturday evening in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play at Babson College's Staake Gymnasium.  

Weaver added a game-high 11 rebounds, recording her fourth double-double of the season for the Blue, who now fall to 5-10 overall and 2-6 in conference play. Springfield, who has won nine of its last ten games, improves to 11-5 on the season and remains tied for first place in the NEWMAC standings with a 7-1 conference record. 

Junior Emily Gins (Fort Meyers, Fla.) recorded a double-double for the Pride, scoring a team-high 13 points while grabbing 10 rebounds. Gins was joined in double-figures by classmate Heather Lewis (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), as the junior guard scored 10 points to go along with four rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block. 

Weaver was the only Wellesley player to finish in double-figures. Senior Kendall Bianchi (Arlington, Va.) added nine points on 3-of-6 shooting, all from beyond the arc. Junior Chelsi Scott (Portland, Mich.) scored six points while grabbing six rebounds and dishing out a game-high seven assists for the Blue. Junior Alex Berman (Tucson, Ariz.) also knocked down a pair of three-pointers to finish with six points. 

Gins knocked down two buckets as part of a 10-4 Springfield run in the opening five minutes of the contest before a triple from Bianchi at 12:00 pulled the Blue to within three, at 10-7. The Pride then countered with an 8-2 run, taking an 18-9 advantage before Berman nailed her first triple of the contest to bring the Blue back to within six, at 18-12. 

The teams exchanged baskets on the next three possession until back-to-back buckets from Weaver again brought the Blue to within three, 24-21, with 2:27 to play before the half. Following a string of seven consecutive points from the Pride, Weaver would tack on another basket to close out the first with Springfield leading 31-23.

Leading by eight to open the second half, Springfield went on a 10-0 run, opening up their largest lead of the day, at 41-23, following a layup by Gins with 14:35 left in regulation. Berman broke the Springfield run with her second three-pointer at 13:13 to make the score 41-26. 

The Blue then outscored the Pride 18-8 over the next eleven minutes of the contest, as Weaver added all eight of her second half points before a jumper from Ailis Hanley (Cranston, R.I.) made the score 49-41 with just 2:37 left to play. 

With the Wellesley deficit at less than ten points for the first time since the opening of the second half, the Pride responded. Lewis knocked down a jumper at 2:14 to again put the visitors up by 10, at 51-41. Kayla Jang (South Pasadena, Calif) scored the final Blue basket of the game with 26 second remaining to again get Wellesley within eight, but the Pride knocked down 3-of-5 free throws in the closing second of the game to take the 54-43 final. 

Wellesley will return to non-conference action on Tuesday evening when they host Wesleyan (Conn.) at 7:30 PM. The game will be played at Lasell College in Newton, Mass. Springfield will play at MCLA in non-conference game on Tuesday at 5:30 PM.