WPI 73, Springfield 64
Worcester, MA --- Emily Allietta (Sandwich, MA)
netted a career-best 30 points to help the WPI women's basketball
team won its fifth consecutive game with a 73-64 victory over
visiting Springfield College in the first NEWMAC game of the season
for both teams on Saturday afternoon.
The victory was WPI's first over Springfield, the defending
conference champions, since the NEWMAC was formed in 1998-99,
ending a ten-game skid.
After the two teams exchanged hoops early on, WPI took control with
a 13-3 run that saw four different Engineers scoring. Never
trailing in the tightly-contested ballgame, the Crimson and Gray
led by as many as 15 points early in the second half following
Alietta's third trifecta of the game.
With Springfield making a spirited comeback midway through the
second half with a 10-0 run to cut the WPI lead to one, an Allietta
trey with 12:56 left gave the Engineers a four-point cushion. Two
minutes later, Meghan Pajonas (Bristol, CT; 21
points) was fouled as she went to the hole, completing the old
fashioned 3-point play to give WPI a six-point, 49-43 lead.
Led by Allietta's seven 3-pointers, the Engineers (8-4) were able
to hold the Pride (4-7) at bay in the latter stages of the
contest.
Freshman Kaileen Selen (Worcester, MA) provided a
spark off the bench for WPI, contributing a game-high seven steals,
six points and four assists. Karen Krasko (North
Branford, CT) shared team-high honors with Selen with four assists
to go along with six points on the day.
Four different Pride reached double figures. Christine
Cotter (Stoughton, MA) led the team with 25 points, while
Corey Finch (Hanover, PA) had 13 points and a
game-high 10 rebounds. Tara McCarthy (Bristol, RI)
followed with 11 points, and Lauren O'Connor
(Valhalla, NY) finished with 10.
Springfield returns to action on Tuesday with a road date against
Mount Holyoke at 7pm. WPI returns to the comfy confines of Boynton
Hill on Thursday, hosting Wheaton at 5:30pm.
