Babson Park, Mass. - January 30, 2016 - Junior center Ava Adamopoulos (Ludlow, Mass.) posted a career-best 15 rebounds, but the hosting Babson College Beavers were able to hold off the Springfield College women's basketball program for a 66-62 victory in Staake Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.

With the loss, Springfield saw its three-game win streak come to a close, and falls to 12-7 overall and 6-4 in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), while Babson improves to 14-5, 10-1 with the victory.

The Pride was 23-for-62 (37.1%) from the floor in the loss, while the Beavers shot 28-for-64 (43.8%) from the floor in the victory. Additionally, Springfield was a season-best 13-for-14 (92.9%) from the free-throw line. The Beavers held a 40-36 advantage on the glass, while the Pride's bench went for 25 points, compared to Babson's 10.

For Springfield, Adamopoulos also posted 13 points to go along with her 15 rebounds, while senior forward Emily Gins (Fort Myers, Fla.) netted 18 points for the fourth time this season, also hauling in three rebounds and four steals, while sophomore forward Heather King (Lebanon, N.H.) posted 10 rebounds and six points in the loss. Junior guard Molly McCausland (Millbury, Mass.) also registered a career-best eight points, including a pair of three pointers on the afternoon.

The Beavers were led by double-digit scoring performances from Giovanna Pickering (Hull, Mass.), Kristen Ferola (Amherst, Mass.) and Taylor Russell (Braintree, Mass.), who combined for 44 of Babson's 66 points on the afternoon. Additionally, Pickering led with a team-best eight rebounds.

Babson jumped out to an early 16-4 lead over the first 3:41 of the contest following a lay-up from Ferola, but the Pride was able to overcome the early adversity, and battle back to make it a three-point game following back-to-back three-pointers from McCausland and a free-throw from Adamopoulos to make it 16-13 with 3:15 left in the opening quarter. A jumper from Pickering would make it 24-17, Babson with 55 seconds on the clock, but Springfield once again made it a four-point game at the end of one, Beavers leading 25-21.

Babson extended its lead to 10 just 2:21 into the second quarter, before Russell buried a pair of free throws to make it 38-25 midway through the stanza. The Pride would continue to rally, as it came up with eight unanswered points, capped by a lay-up from Adamopoulos to make it 38-33, Babson, with 3:15 left in the half. The Pride would keep it close for the remainder of the half, as Carli Brent (Wilmington, Mass.) converted a lay-up with two ticks on the clock to make it 42-37, Babson, at the half.

The Beavers took an 11-point lead following a basket from Linnet Graber (Roseland, N.J.) just three minutes into the second half, but a lay-up from Gins with 4:41 left in the third sparked a 10-3 run for Springfield, evening the score at 53 apiece going into the final quarter.

Just 3:55 into the final frame, Marissa Cicchetti (Mansfield, Mass.) nailed a three-pointer to give the hosts a 60-53 lead, but the Pride continued to show its resiliency, as a triple from Lexi Windwer (Milton, Mass.) evened the game at 60 apiece with 4:37 to go. After trading baskets, the Beavers scored the last two baskets of the game, sealing the 66-62 victory.

Up next, Springfield will return to Blake Arena on Wednesday, February 3 when it hosts Clark in another NEWMAC contest at 5:30 p.m.