Ithaca, N.Y. - March 4, 2022 - The Springfield College women's basketball program defeated Messiah, 73-68, in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship Tournament hosted by Ithaca College on Friday night. 

Springfield advances to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first since 2005 when reached the Elite Eight, while Messiah, who earned the automatic bid after winning the MAC Conference, closes its season with a 23-4 record. Springfield now has produced the most wins in a season since the 2004-05 campaign as improved to 23-4 on the year. Springfield scored 20 points off turnovers and earned 19 points from the bench. 

Springfield finished with four players in double figures as Rachel Vinton (Rutland, Mass.) scored 20 points shooting 7-of-11 from the field. Sam Hourihan (Bridgewater, Mass.) netted a double-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. Angela Czeremcha (West Springfield, Mass.) was terrific off the bench with 16 points and nine rebounds. As a team, Springfield shot 27-of-61 for 56.3% from the floor. 

Messiah was led by Eleana Eckley with 18 points, Reese Harden added 14 points, and Sidney Stuzman scored 13 points.

Springfield earned a 7-2 lead at 7:55 as Vinton scored on a driving layup for Springfield as the Pride scored on three of its first four possessions to start the game. Messiah was able to storm back and take a 16-11 lead with 2:08 remaining in the quarter after Morgan Adams stepped into a mid range jumper off the skip from Reese Harden. Both teams traded buckets over the final 1:21 with Hourihan sticking a three with 30 seconds left to close the quarter with a two-point deficit at 18-16. 

The Pride controlled the second quarter defensively, holding Messiah to just 3-of-12 shooting in the stanza, which allowed them to regain the lead. Springfield retook the lead at the 6:56 mark as Wentland hit a step back three on the left wing to take a 21-20 lead. The Pride lead stayed within three points for much of the quarter as Czeremcha scored back-to-back buckets for Springfield to give the Pride a 34-27 lead with 43 ticks left. After Harden scored a pair from the line, Hourihan found Czeremcha on a high-low connection to make it a 36-29 lead at the half. 

The Pride lead got up to 43-31 early in the third as Vinton canned a three from the corner on the kick from Hourihan. Messiah used a 10-0 burst to claw its way back to a 43-41 score with 4:50 remaining in the third, but Springfield responded with a 8-2 run to build its lead up to 49-43, before a tip in from Morgan Adams made it 49-45. However, Wentland attacked the rim and scored as time expired to give the Pride a 51-45 lead. 

At 5:02 in the fourth quarter, Messiah cut the deficit to 54-50 as Sidney Stuzman hit a triple off the pass from Eleana Eckley, but Springfield built its lead back up to double digits as Vinton stole an inbounds pass and took it the length of the court for the fast break score to push the lead to 62-52 for the Pride. Messiah continued to stay in the game with timely buckets, especially with 44 seconds left, as Eckley was fouled on three and made the free throw to make it 68-65 with under a minute to go. The Pride made 5-of-6 from the line with four from Vinton down the stretch to pull out the victory. 

Springfield will play the winner of Ithaca/Catholic tomorrow at 5:00. 

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