Springfield, Mass. - February 13, 2016 - Led by a career-high 23 points from senior forward Emily Gins (Fort Myers, Fla.), the Springfield College women's basketball team defeated MIT 63-53 in an important New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) contest on Saturday afternoon in Blake Arena.

With the win, Springfield improves to 14-9 on the season and 8-6 in NEWMAC play, while MIT falls to 16-7 overall and 10-4 in the conference. Springfield held MIT to 17-of-46 (37.0%) from the field, while the Pride shot 23-of-55 (41.8%). Springfield also held a 41-20 advantage over the Engineers on the glass in the victory. 

Adding to Gins' 23 points were senior guard Heather Lewis (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) and sophomore guard Heather King (Lebanon, N.H.), who posted nine points apiece, while junior forward Ava Adamopoulos (Ludlow, Mass.) notched nine points and a game-high ten rebounds.

For MIT, freshman guard Kara Holinski (Livonia, Mich.) finished with a team-high 20 points as senior guard Sabrina Drammis (Hilton Head Island, S.C.) registered 17 points and eight rebounds in the loss.

The Engineeers jumped out to an early 5-2 lead when Ramachandran converted a lay-up just 3:06 into the contest, but four unanswered points, including baskets from King and Lewis gave the Pride a one-point lead just 1:02 later.After a jumper from Drammis to make it 10-8, MIT, with 1:41 left in the frame, Adamopoulos responded with a basket of her own to even the score at 10 apiece at the end of one.

Knotted at 10 for the first 2:37 of the second quarter, Danielle Racette (North Adams, Mass.) netted a lay-up to give the Pride a two-point lead, before the hosts grabbed a 16-12 lead with 3:36 remaining in the half on a deep two from Gins.

The Pride would retain its four-point lead until 1:55 remaining in the half when Drammis found Holinski in the corner for a triple that cut the Engineers' deficit to one, but Springfield would close out the half with back-to-back baskets from Gins to take a 22-19 lead into the halftime break.

MIT would tie the score just 16 seconds into the third quarter with a layup from Holinksi, but back-to-back lay-ups from Lewis brought the Pride's lead to 28-24 just 3:12 into the second half. The Engineers responded with a jumper from Drammis, but King answered just 10 seconds later with a jumper of her own as the Pride would maintain its four-point lead.

Springfield would go on to score eight unanswered points with 2:42 remaining in the third quarter, extending its lead to 11, before a layup from Kristen Ngan (Sudbury, Mass.) with 25 seconds left brought the score to within nine, giving Springfield a 42-33 lead going into the final quarter. 

MIT would come as close as to within a pair of points during the final period, including a layup from Ngan with 4:40 remaining in the contest, but back-to-back lay-ups from Adamopoulos would hold the Pride's lead, 53-47, with 3:25 to go. 

The Engineers cut their deficit to five with 44 seconds to go following a triple from Holinski, but Springfield would seal the win with free-throws from Gins and Lewis.

Next, Springfield will travel to Mount Holyoke on Wednesday, February 17 for a 7 p.m. tip.