Newport, R.I. – February 7, 2024 – Trailing 49-39 after three quarters, the Springfield College women's basketball team outscored Salve Regina University, 36-10, in the fourth to defeat the Seahawks, 75-59, in NEWMAC action tonight.

Springfield, which was receiving votes in this week's D3hoops.com national poll and appeared in the initial NCAA Division III Region II rankings, ran its winning streak to six to improve to 18-4 overall and to 7-1 in conference play. Salve Regina, dipped to 10-12, 4-4.

Sophomore Amanda Leary (Westbury, N.Y.) nearly registered a triple double for the Pride with 28 points, ten rebounds and nine assists to go along with a trio of steals. Leary's 28 points marked a new career-high for the sophomore, who shot 10-for-17 from the floor, 4-for-7 from behind the arc and 4-for-4 from the charity stripe. Graduate student Rachel Vinton (Holden, Mass.) notched 12 points, four rebounds, four assists and nine steals, which are the fifth most in a single game this season across the country, tied her career-high and one off the program record. Junior Angela Czeremcha (West Springfield, Mass.) notched her tenth double-double of the season with 12 points and ten boards for the Pride.

Springfield trailed 49-39 after three quarters and Salve Regina led by as many as 12 in the first half (30-18 in midway through the second) and as many as 13 in the second (midway through the third). The Pride inbounded the ball to begin the fourth and Leary immediately knocked down a corner three. The sophomore put the team on her back and scored the quarter's first ten points on two corner three-point buckets and a pair of layups – one off an offensive put back and one off a feed from first-year Natalie Lucas (Madison, Conn.) who stole the ball in transition – to even the score at 49-49.

Springfield put full court pressure on the Seahawks as the Pride held the hosts scoreless for the first 4:26 which they built the comeback. After Morgan Shuey broke the run, Leary put Springfield up 53-31 on a layup before the Pride put together a 15-2 run over the next 2:35 to push their lead up to 12 at 65-53, forcing Salve Regina to burn a timeout. The run for the Pride saw five points from Vinton who capped the run with an and-one three point play. Another fast break layup from Leary with 1:16 to play gave Springfield its largest lead of the game of 17 points at 72-55 as the Pride went on to win 75-59.

In the fourth quarter alone, Springfield shot 62.5-percent from the floor and knocked down five of six shots from long range. The Pride turned 12 Salve Regina turnovers into 17 points over the final ten minutes of the game in which Leary tallied 17 of her 28 points on the night.

In total, the Pride turned 26 turnovers into 30 points, scored 30 points in the paint and 14 points off the fast break. Springfield also held a 40-38 edge on the glass and tallied 22 steals on the night, the most in a single game for the Pride since they notched 20 in a 79-60 win over Worcester State on December 7, 2022.

Springfield will continue NEWMAC play on the road with a matchup at Babson College on Saturday, February 10 at 1:00 pm.

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