Springfield, Mass. - December 3, 2016 - For the second-consecutive game, senior center Ava Adamopoulos (Ludlow, Mass.) netted 25 points as the Springfield College women's basketball program defeated Wellesley College, 85-53, in its home and New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) opener on Saturday afternoon in Blake Arena. 

With the victory, Springfield College improves to 3-2 on the year, and 1-0 in the NEWMAC, while the Blue falls to 3-3 overall and 0-2 in league play. Springfield College held a 30-26 advantage on the glass, while also owning a 30-12 margin in the paint on the afternoon. Additionally, the Pride, which shot 30-for-53 (56.6%) in the win, turned 29 Blue turnovers into 39 points and posted 48 bench points on the day. 

Along with Adamopoulos scoring 25 points, Springfield College also received 12 points and six boards from junior Heather King (Lebanon, N.H.), while senior Molly McCausland (Millbury, Mass.) finished with 10 points, four assists and three rebounds.

For Wellesley, Caitlin Aguirre (El Paso, Texas) notched 18 points, while Keer Sun (Pine Brook, N.J.) posted eight points and six rebounds for the Blue in the setback. 

Trailing 5-4 just 1:41 into the contest following a three-pointer from Zojajha Ayub (Belle Mead, N.J.), four consecutive points from King, including a lay-up in transition gave the Pride an 8-5 lead midway through the first quarter. A deep jumper from Taylor Hall (Tolland, Conn.), followed by a triple from Lexi Windwer (Milton, Mass.) pushed Springfield College's lead to eight, before an offensive rebound and finish from Adamopoulos made it 15-5, Pride, with 3:00 to play in the stanza. The senior would go to net the Pride's next eight points, as Springfield College would make it 23-7 at the end of the first.

Wellesley cut its deficit to 12 with a three pointer from Aguirre, but a pair of free throws from Emily Jacques (Auburn, Maine), and a basket in transition from King gave the Pride a 16-point, 31-15 lead with 4:01 to play in the half. Back-to-back jumper from King pushed Springfield College's lead to 20, but a pair of free-throws from Kendall You Mak (San Francisco, Calif.) would make it 39-24, Pride, heading into the break. 

A corner three from Windwer to open the second half made it 44-24, Springfield College, before the senior nailed one from the opposite corner to push the Pride's lead to 23 just 2:43 into the frame. Holding a 51-31 lead with 3:35 to play in the third quarter, McCausland drilled a three from the wing, before Chelsea McAllister (Baltimore, Vt.) set up a basket for Gracie Restituyo (Jersey City, N.J.), then cashed in on a last-second triple to make it 61-37, Pride, at the end of three. 

A pair of free-throws from Adamopoulos and a lay-up in transition from McCausland pushed Springfield College's lead to 30 just 3:17 into the fourth quarter, before back-to-back triples from Jaques and Alex Goslin (South Windsor, Conn.) made it 75-41, Pride with 4:28 to play. Head coach Naomi Graves was able to empty her bench for the remainder of the game, as the Pride sealed the 32-point win.

Up next, Springfield College will travel to Mount Holyoke for a 7 p.m. contest with the Lions on Wednesday, December 7.