By Tucker Paquette
@tpaquette17
Springfield College women’s basketball easily defeated Emerson on Saturday afternoon in Blake Arena, defeating the Lions 70-40 behind a dominant third quarter performance during the Pride’s senior day in a game the team never trailed.
Senior Forwards Lindsey Laughlan and Angie Czeremcha were celebrated before the game, and the positivity from the pregame festivities carried over into the game. The Pride started off the first quarter hot, jumping out to a quick 14-2 lead.
As the quarter progressed, however, Springfield’s offense went stagnant, and Emerson was able to make it an eight point game heading into the second frame.
The Lions continued to chip away at their deficit, outsourcing the Pride by a 13-12 margin in the second quarter. Entering halftime, Springfield led 27-20 but Springfield head coach Naomi Graves was looking for more from her team against a Lions team that entered play sitting second in the NEWMAC standings.
Graves earned her 600th career victory when the final buzzer sounded, becoming just the 13th active Division III women’s basketball coach to reach that mark. She spoke to her team at halftime about the importance of generating another push even as a season’s worth of fatigue exists.
“We just talked about playoff mentality at halftime,” Graves said. “If you’re tired at this point of the season, you have to run through the wall. Everybody’s so tired at this point. You’ve got to find a way somewhere inside of you to play better.”
It’s safe to say the Pride responded, and did so in a big way. Springfield came roaring out of the gates in the third quarter, ultimately outscoring the Lions by a whopping 26-4 margin over the course of the quarter. As the fourth quarter approached, there was little doubt about who would emerge victorious.
Springfield’s commanding third quarter showing was highlighted by a powerful blend of frequent offense, stifling defense and tireless effort. The Pride shot 9-18 from the field during the frame, as opposed to Emerson’s 0-11 mark. Springfield also outrebounded the Lions 14-6 in the quarter, several times diving to the floor to secure loose balls and attempt to regain possession.
To Graves, the Pride’s post-halftime performance was indicative of the team’s togetherness and their determination to earn a win.
“They responded and said, ‘we’re only as good as the five people on the court,’” Graves said. “I thought our team played more together today than they’ve played all season. It’s the best I’ve seen our team play.”
The defense and rebounding that played a key role in the Pride’s 3rd quarter success was on display throughout the game. Emerson shot 27.8 from the field, including 2-20 from beyond the arc. Many of those misses were then corralled by Springfield, who outrebounded the Lions 50-30.
Individually, junior guard Amanda Leary had a standout game for the Pride. Leary posted a game-high 19 points on 46.2 percent shooting while also adding 11 rebounds and five assists. 16 of Leary’s points came in the second half, something that stuck out to Graves.
“I think Amanda came out in the second half and established herself as an All-Conference player,” Graves said. “I think she just said, ‘let’s do it.’”
Czeremcha also turned in a quality performance for the Pride in her last regular season game with the program. She tallied 16 points and grabbed eight boards, highlighting the interior scoring and rebounding prowess that has helped make her one of the best players in Springfield’s history.
Elsewhere for the Pride, the team’s sophomore starting backcourt duo of Kassidy Carrano and Claire Finney contributed to the win. Carrano finished with eight points, five rebounds and three assists, with Finney putting 12 points. They each hit a pair of 3-pointers, as well.
Springfield moves to 15-10 on the season with the win. Looking ahead, the Pride’s next game will come as part of the NEWMAC tournament quarterfinals on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. Their opponent will be determined later Saturday afternoon, once all of the day’s games have finished.
(Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)