Cambridge, Mass. – November 23, 2013 – Freshman Lexi Windwer (Milton, Mass.) led the Springfield College women’s basketball team with 18 points on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc, but the Pride (1-3, 0-2 NEWMAC) fell to host MIT (2-2, 1-1 NEWMAC) on Saturday in a conference clash.

The Engineers put together a 13-2 run during the final 4:30 of the first half to take a commanding lead. MIT’s Mari Kordell (Ijamsville, Md.) led all scorers with 23 points to go along with six assists and three steals.

  Springfield inched out to a 10-6 lead following five minutes of action courtesy of a jumper from sophomore Heather Lewis (Saratoga Springs. N.Y.). A basket by Kordell on MITÂ's next possession generated a 14-2 run that put it up, 20-12, at the 8:30 mark. However, the Pride rattled off nine straight points in a three-minute span as a pair of Lewis free throws gave it a 21-20 edge. Kordell buried a three-pointer on the EngineersÂ' next trip down the court but senior Tamara Tribble (White Plains, N.Y.) evened the score at 23 with a lay up.

MIT replied by reclaiming the lead on sophomore Sabrina DrammisÂ's (Hilton Head Island, S.C.) layup that ignited its 13-2 run to close the half. Drammis recorded all eight of her first-half points during the rally as sophomore Durva Bhandare (North Brunswick, N.J.) provided a three-pointer and a layup with seven ticks left to give the Engineers a 36-25 advantage.

  MIT’s cushion grew to 21 points on two occasions in the second stanza, the last on a pair of free throws from senior Rachel Hunt (Arlington Heights, Ill.) with 9:26 on the clock. Despite the deficit, Springfield continued to attack, mounting an 18-8 run that narrowed the gap to 11 (65-54) with 2:39 remaining. Lewis contributed six points while Windwer had seven as her lay up and trifecta capped the run. This was as close as it would get for the visitors as Kordell nailed a three-pointer on MITÂ's ensuing possession while freshman Liana Ilutzi (East Hanover, N.J.) was 4-for-4 at the charity stripe down the stretch.

  Drammis finished with 19 points and a game-high 13 rebounds while Hunt totaled 10 points and three blocks. Ilutzi registered seven points and five assists as sophomore Maya Ramachandran (Fremont, Calif.) tallied seven rebounds, six points, two blocks, and two steals.

  Junior Jaimie Bickelhaupt (Brookfield, Conn.) notched a double-double for the Pride on 14 points and 10 rebounds as Lewis produced 12 points and five boards. Tribble chipped in eight points and five rebounds while junior Andrea Moschetta (Harrison, N.Y.) recorded five assists and four steals.

  Both squads continue conference action on Tuesday, Nov. 26. MIT will visit the U.S. Coast Guard Academy while Springfield will host Babson College.