SOUTH HADLEY, MASS. – Four Springfield College players scored in double-figures to lift the Pride past Mount Holyoke College, 97-31 in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) basketball action on Wednesday. Springfield improves to 4-2 overall and 2-0 in conference, while MHC is now 2-6 overall and 0-3 in NEWMAC play.
Senior center Ava Adamopoulos (Ludlow, Mass./Ludlow) led the way with 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting and eight rebounds off the bench. Sophomore forward Gracie Restituyo (Jersey City, N.J./Barrington) added a double-double with 19 points and 15 boards in 17 minutes of play. Senior guard Lexi Windwer (Milton, Mass./Thayer Academy) also had a strong game with 14 points, while first year Taylor Hall (Tolland, Conn./Tolland) rounded out the double-digit scorers with 11 points and eight rebounds.
For the Lyons, first year guard Katlyn Grover (Bernardston, Mass./Beaver Country Day School) had a strong game with 13 points, knocking down three from deep. First year guard Kathryn Violette (Yokosuka City, Japan/Yokohama International School) also scored in double-figures with 10 points and three boards. Senior forward and captain Xajaah Williams-Flores (The Bronx, N.Y./Holderness School) grabbed eight boards, while junior guard Genesis DiCarlo (Sullivan, Maine/Sumner Memorial) had a strong game defensively with two steals.
The Pride came out strong in the first quarter, forcing seven turnovers with the press. Springfield got out to a 6-0 lead after a Hall layup before Grover connected on her first three at the 7:35 mark to make it 6-3. The Pride continued pressure to build a 27-5 advantage going into the second quarter.
In the second frame, Grover knocked down her second three from the corner to culminate another run from Springfield to make the score, 34-8 with 7:19 to go. In the last minute of the half, senior forward Julia McConnell (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back in for the score with :45 on the clock, but Springfield made two at the line to go into halftime up, 50-12.
Windwer opened up the third stanza with a three, but Grover knocked down a three of her own on the next possession. Violette scored on the ensuing play to cut the lead to, 55-17. Later in the quarter, Violette scored four straight points capped off by a layup with 2:59 to cut the deficit to 67-23. The Pride scored the next eight points to end the quarter up, 75-23.
In the fourth frame, four different players scored for the Lyons, but 15 points from Resituyo eventually sealed a 97-31 victory for the Pride.
Mount Holyoke will hit the hardwood again on Saturday at 1:00pm where it will face the University of Saint Joseph on the road. Springfield will also be in action on Saturday, facing Worcester State at home starting at 1:00pm.
