Springfield, Mass. – December 6, 2024 – Powered by a career-high 22 points from Claire Finney (Haverhill, Mass.), the Springfield College women's basketball team defeated Lasell University, 80-58, in non-conference action on Friday night in Blake Arena.

Springfield, now winners of four straight, improved to 6-3, while Lasell dropped to 3-4.

Finney finished with 22 points on 10-for-13 shooting from the floor in addition to two rebounds, two assists and a steal. Angie Czeremcha (West Springfield, Mass.) registered 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks, while Amanda Leary (Westbury, N.Y.) added 12 points and five boards for the Pride.

Lasell was guided by Kiara Cerruti, who posted 15 points and six rebounds and Laura Johnson, who tallied eight points and 13 rebounds in the setback.

As a team, Springfield recorded 44 of its 80 points in the paint and 24 of its points off of Lasell turnovers. The Pride shot an even 50.0-percent from the floor (31-for-62), knocked down 13-of-18 shots from the free throw line and five buckets from behind the arc.

The visiting Lasers jumped out to an early 8-4 edge following a three-point play from Shirle Major. Springfield, however, responded with eight straight points capped on a pair of free throws by Czeremcha for a 12-8 lead midway through the first. Finney knocked down her first trey of the game at the 5:09 mark before layups by Czeremcha, Lindsey Laughlan (Ellington, Conn.) and Finney ballooned Springfield's lead to nine at 21-12. Finney capped the scoring for Springfield in the first as the hosts held a 25-18 edge after ten minutes of play.

After both teams traded points to open the second, Springfield ripped off a 9-0 run to push its lead to 16 at 38-22 late in the stanza and eventually took a 13 point differential into the halftime break, 41-28. The spurt began on a trey by Natalie Lucas (Madison, Conn.) and ended on another layup in transition by Finney.

Both teams tallied 18 points in the third before Finney opened the scoring in the fourth with a three point bucket off a feed from Bailee Lange (Wynanskill, N.Y.). A 10-2 run midway through the fourth was the difference in the quarter as the Pride eventually led by as many as 24 en route to the 80-58 win.

Springfield will have the week off before closing the semester with a non-conference game against Albertus Magnus College next Saturday, December 14 at 1:00 pm in Blake Arena.

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