Springfield, Mass. - February 14, 2015 - One of the best offensive performances of the season from the Springfield College women's basketball program paced the Pride to a 70-55 victory over MIT on Saturday afternoon in Blake Arena. 

With the win, Springfield improves to 18-6 overall and 13-2 in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play. MIT falls to 10-13 on the year and 6-8 in league play.

The Pride, who finished the day shooting 26-of-59 (44.1%) from the field, scored a season-high 70 points in the victory, while holding the Engineers to 21-of-57 (36.8%) from the field on the afternoon. The last time Springfield eclipsed 70 points was in last season's 78-63 victory over Wheaton College in the NEWMAC semifinals. 

The Pride had five players post double digits in the scoring column, as senior Jaimie Bickelhaupt (Brookfield, Conn.) recorded her 14th double-double of the season and 31st of her career, posting 13 points and as many rebounds in the victory, while junior guard Heather Lewis (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) led the Pride with 16 points. The Pride also held a 29-3 advantage in bench points over the course of the contest. Sophomore Lexi Windwer (Milton, Mass.) posted 11 points including three triples, while freshman Heather King (Lebanon, N.H.) and junior Emily Gins (Fort Myers, Fla.) each had 10. 

For MIT, Sabrina Drammis (Hilton Head Island, S.C.) posted a game-high 19 points and a team-high 10 rebounds in the contest. 

The Engineers took an early 10-7 lead just 3:39 into the contest after a three-pointer from Osheiza Otori (Metairie, La.), before Bickelhaupt cut the Pride's deficit to one with a lay-up underneath the basket.

After Drammis gave the Engineers a 15-11 lead after the conventional three-point play, King brought Springfield to within a pair after a mid-range jumper to make it 15-13.

Down 21-13, Springfield scored five-straight points including a triple from Windwer and a lay-up from Bickelhaupt to get the Pride back in the contest, making it 21-18, MIT.

With 4:56 remaining in the contest, Windwer hit a three pointer from the wing to even the score at 23 apiece, before Lewis drained a lay-up in transition to give the Pride a 27-26 lead late in the half.

A lay-up from Ava Adamopoulos (Ludlow, Mass.) with 2:48 remaining in the half sparked a 10-3 run for the Pride, including six points from Lewis and a steal, followed by a pair of free-throws from Windwer to give the Pride a 37-31 lead at the half.

Springfield opened the second stanza with six unanswered points to bring its lead to 43-31, before the Pride took a 13-point lead following a bucket from Dina Pitsas (Milford, N.H.).

Gins then gave the Pride a 19-point advantage with a mid-range jumper of her own, before Riley Fake (Brockport, N.Y.) extended the lead to 21 with a bucket to make it 59-38, Springfield, capping an 8-0 run over 1:48 for the hosts.

From there, MIT scored nine-straight points to cut its lead back to 12 points, capped off with a lay-up from Mari Kordell (Ijamsville, Md.), before a rebound and put-back lay-up from Adamopoulos.

With a late 68-52 victory over the Engineers after Lewis cashed in a pair from the free-throw line, before a jumper from King sealed the victory for the Pride. 

The Pride will resume play on Wednesday, February 18 when it will travel to Mount Holyoke for a NEWMAC contest to begin at 7 p.m.