Springfield, Mass. - February 28, 2020 - The Springfield College women's basketball program fells to Smith College, 55-50, in the New England Women's And Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Semifinals in Blake Arena on Friday night. 

The Pride closed their season with a 19-8 record and Smith advances to host MIT in the NEWMAC Championship Final on Sunday.

Sam Hourihan (Bridgewater, Mass.) finished with 14 points and eight rebounds while Emily Jacques (Auburn, Maine) added a 14-point, 12-rebound performance for the Pride. Alex Goslin (South Windsor, Conn.) contributed seven points and four assists and Grace Dzindolet (Holliston, Mass.) provided energy off the bench with seven points. The Pride were edged on the glass, 45-42, in the setback.

Smith was led by Jessie Ruffner's 20 points and seven rebounds and Amelia Clairmont pitched in 12 points for the Pioneers. 

Both teams traded baskets for the better part of the first quarter as Rachel Vinton (Holden, Mass.) scored on a second effort to make the score 9-9 with 2:57 remaining. The Pioneers would use a quick 6-0 spurt to boost their lead to 15-9 with a three-pointer from Dashelle Gleissner as time expired in the first quarter. 

At 8:35 in the second quarter, Clairmont finished a lay in to go up 19-12. With 6:51 remaining, Hourihan would finish through contact and knock down the free throw to trim the Pioneer lead to 19-16. Springfield would pull within one at the 2:23 mark with Jacques three, courtesy of the second effort from Goslin, making the score 26-25. With 31 seconds left, Ruffner would convert 1-of-2 from the line to take a 29-25 lead, but Goslin would storm down the floor and finish in the paint to make it 29-27 at the half.

At the 6:15 mark, Taylor Hall (Tolland, Conn.) tipped away a pass and threw it ahead to a striding Goslin for the fast break bucket to give the Pride a 32-31 lead. At 2:34, Ashlyn Bohn put back a miss to bring the Pioneers within a possession at 35-33, but with 1:41 to go, Goslin would keep the possession alive and go to the line to give Springfield the 36-33 lead with one more quarter to play. 

At 8:27, Jacques stepped into a wing three from Vinton, letting Springfield take a 39-35 lead, but Smith would respond out of a timeout with a triple from Ruffner to make the score 39-38 in favor of the Pride with 7:43 remaining in the game. Smith would use a 11-2 run over the next five minutes to take a 49-41 lead with 2:05 left in the contest. A Jacques three with 1:46 to go would bring the Pride within five at 49-44 as several missed opportunities from the line for the Pioneers allowed the Pride seek a comeback. Out of a timeout, Hourihan canned a wing three to make 50-47 give Springfield a chance with 33 seconds remaining, however late free throws would allow Smith to pull out the victory.

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