Worcester, Mass. — January 15, 2011 — Ashleigh Condon sank one free throw with four seconds left to break a tie and give her Clark University women’s basketball team a 65-64 victory over Springfield College in a New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference game this afternoon at the Kneller Athletic Center.

Both teams are now 5-3 in conference play. Clark is 6-9 overall, while Springfield is now 5-10.

Condon led the Cougars with 14 points, including 7-of-9 from the free throw line. With the score tied at 64-all, Condon was fouled on her way to the basket. After a timeout, Condon went to the line and missed her first. But she calmly sank the second to put Clark up by a point. In the final four seconds, forced to travel the length of the court, Springfield did not get a shot off.

Also scoring in double figures for Clark was guard Emily Reilly with 13 points and Kate Minister with 10. Ivori Aiken added eight. In the rebound column, both Aiken and Kelsey Giedymin had seven apiece.

For Springfield, Kelly Slattery led with a game-high 19 points. The junior forward also had 10 rebounds. In addition, Abby Connors had 12 points, followed by Emily Walker with 8 points. Walker also had a game-high 13 rebounds.

Springfield had a one-point lead at the half, 26-25. But the game came down to the final moments. When Emily Reilly made a conventional three-point play with 3:15 left, Clark had a six-point lead, 59-53. A 3-pointer by Connors cut that lead in half with 2:42 left. A steal and fastbreak lay-up by Andrea Butler cut that margin down to one at 59-58 with 2:20 to go.

After a Clark miss, Slattery made a lay-up with 1:44 left, and SC regained the lead. But Condon replied with two free throws with 1:25 to go, and Clark led by one, 61-60. Slattery responded with two free throws with 45 seconds left, and now SC was ahead, 62-61. Then Reilly hit a huge three-pointer with 27 seconds to go and Clark had regained the lead, 64-62. A lay-up by Connors with 10 seconds left tied matters at 64-all, setting up Condon’s heroics at the end.

Both teams finished with similar shooting percentages from the floor. SC was 26-of-68 (.382), while Clark was 22-of-58 (.379). The Pride had the better of it on the boards, 46-36. A difference came in free throw shooting. Clark made 13-of-16 (.813), while SC made just 6-of-12 (.500). SC committed 19 turnovers to Clark’s 17.

Up next for the Pride is a Wednesday encounter at Smith in Northampton at 7 pm.