Babson Park, Mass. - January 17, 2015 - A well-balanced scoring effort from the Springfield College women's basketball team led the Pride to a 54-43 victory over Wellesley College on Saturday evening in Stakke Gymnasium.

Winning its third conference game this week alone, the Pride improve to 11-5 and remain tied for first place in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) at 7-1 in league play. With the loss, Wellesley falls to 5-10 overall and 2-6 in league play.

Springfield shot 43.4 percent from the field on the day, going 23-for-53, while Wellesley was just 19-for-55 (34.5%). Junior forward Emily Gins (Fort Myers, Fla.) led the way for the Pride with a team-high 13 points behind .833 shooting percentage, while also picking up 10 rebounds and her second double-double of the season.

Junior guard Heather Lewis (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) was impressive as well, posting 10 points and four rebounds, while sophomore Lexi Windwer (Milton, Mass.) posted nine points. Sophomore Dina Pitsas (Milford, N.H.) and Heather King (Lebanon, N.H.) both tallied six point efforts, while Andrea Moschetta (Harrison, N.Y.) tallied three assists in the victory.

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 Kendall Bianchi (Arlington, Va.) at 12:00 minute mark pulled the Blue to within three, at 10-7. Springfield then countered with an 8-2 run, taking an 18-9 advantage before Alex Berman (Tuscon, Ariz.) nailed her first triple of the contest to bring the Blue back to within six, at 18-12. 

Following a string of seven consecutive points from the Pride, Morgyne Weaver (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 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. 

With an eight-point lead late in the contest, Lewis knocked down 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 seconds of the game to take the 54-43 final. 

The Pride will get a well-deserved break before returning to action, as it will travel to MCLA on Thursday, January 22 for a 5:30 non-conference game.