The Springfield College women’s basketball team delivered a strong performance on Tuesday night at Blake Arena, defeating Coast Guard in a 62-47 game in front of a home crowd.
The Pride set the tone early, jumping out to a 7–2 lead in the opening five minutes and never looking back. Springfield held Coast Guard to just six points in the first quarter, building early momentum behind strong defensive pressure and efficient offense.
Senior Carrie Hess led the way in the first half, scoring nine points on 4-of-6 shooting. The Pride controlled the boards throughout the opening half, creating second-chance opportunities and limiting Coast Guard’s scoring chances.
Fueled by a 14-point halftime advantage, Springfield extended its lead in the first minutes of the third quarter with a layup from Hess and a 3-pointer from sophomore captain Madison Lopez.
Hess’ impressive performance was just one of many recent successes as she has been a crucial player on both ends of the floor for Springfield.
Coming off a tough loss to nationally ranked Smith, the Pride entered today’s matchup focused on regaining confidence and improving their position in the NEWMAC standings. The win evened out their 3-3 record in the conference.
“We just had two tough battles,” Hess said. “This time we were all in the right mindset. We wanted to come out strong.”
And they did just that. Springfield’s fast start created quality offensive opportunities and allowed the team to control the pace for most of the night.
“I think it was huge,” head coach Naomi Graves said. “It built our confidence. You could see our confidence was positive right away.”
Graves also noted Hess’ impact on the game.
“Carrie dominated,” said Graves. “She did an amazing job. She owned the inside game and really led us.”
Off the bench, Ava Mamone made an immediate impact. The freshman, who Graves referred to as the “unsung hero” of the game, finished with four points, three rebounds, and three assists.
The Pride look to their next matchup at home against Wheaton College, which will set the stage for their senior day celebration, where three players will be honored. Until then, they plan to carry this momentum and keep pushing forward.
“We were connected on defense,” Graves said. “We talked, we hustled, we worked hard. We got on the floor and showed a lot of passion.”
Photo by Ella Travaglino