Lyons finish tied for third in NEWMAC after 73-66 loss at Springfield

February 17, 2007

SPRINGFIELD, MA- The Wheaton College women's basketball team trimmed a 14-point deficit to four with 1:25 remaining before finishing its regular season slate with a 73-66 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) loss on Saturday to Springfield College in Blake Arena.

At 16-9 overall and 9-4 in the league, the Lyons finished tied for third in the standings while claiming the fourth seed in the conference tournament. Wheaton will host number five Clark University on Wednesday in a first round game at 7:00 p.m. The Pride is now 14-11 and 9-4, and clinched the third seed.

Wheaton scored the first bucket of the game, as freshman Jenny Champney's (Bedford, MA/Bedford) lay-up 22 seconds in gave the Lyons their only lead of the game, before Springfield knotted the score 44 ticks later. During the first 11 minutes of the game, the Pride led by more than five points on only one occasion, at 12-6, while Wheaton pulled no closer than 12-11 on Champney's bucket at 13:32.

A Champney hoop brought the Lyons within 27-23 at 5:35, and freshman Ida Kruse (Vershire, VT/Rivendell Academy) nailed a jumper to keep it a six-point game at 33-27, but the hosts finished the half by scoring eight of the final 10 points. Springfield twice led by a dozen during that stretch, including 41-29 at intermission. Wheaton shot just 38.2 percent in the half, including 1-of-7 from beyond the arc, while the hosts went 15-of-28 for 53.6 percent and held a 25-13 advantage on the glass.

Sophomore Liz Jordan (Sandwich, MA/Sandwich) hit a free throw to push Springfield to its largest lead, 44-30 at 16:43 of the second half, but sophomore Bri Smith (Westford, MA/Westford Academy) nailed a three-pointer and classmate Krystin Hickey (Manchester, NH/New Hampton School) converted a three-point play to make it 44-36 at 15:07. The Lyons came within 49-44 with 10:33 remaining on senior Kim McCormack's (Milton, MA/Milton) lay-up, but the Pride pushed its lead back out to 61-49 with 5:24 left.

From there, Wheaton trimmed its deficit in half, as McCormack dropped in a lay-up and a pair of free throws before junior Becky Aitchison's (Norwalk, CT/Trinity Catholic) hoop made the score 61-55 at 3:02. McCormack hit another freebie at 1:56, and Aitchison answered a Springfield bucket with a three-pointer to pull the Lyons within 65-61 with 1:25 remaining. Pride sophomore Liz Brosseau (Franklin, MA/Franklin) made two free throws with a little more than a minute remaining, but Aitchison made it a four-point game again with 51 ticks left. However, Springfield hit both of its field goal attempts and two free throw tries during the final 32 seconds.

McCormack turned in a season-high 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting while collecting a career-high-tying seven steals. Aitchison notched her first double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds while adding three assists and three steals, and Smith notched 15 points by shooting 5-of-9, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Wheaton shot 35.3 percent but committed only 11 turnovers to Springfield's 23.

Sophomore Lauren O'Connor (Valhalla, NY/Valhalla) led the Pride with 16 points and 16 rebounds, while Brosseau had 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting off the bench. Junior Tara McCarthy (Bristol, RI/LaSalle Academy) added 11 points and eight assists, as the hosts shots 51.9 percent.

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