By Tucker Paquette
@tpaquette17
Springfield College women’s basketball handled Lasell without much trouble in Blake Arena on Friday night, moving past the Boomers to the tune of an 80-58 victory.
The Pride came out of the gates hot from the field, shooting 63 percent in the first quarter. This statement opening frame was all Springfield needed the rest of the night, as they never trailed after the opening frame.
A central element of Springfield’s offensive attack throughout the game was their paint scoring. The Pride finished the game with 44 total points in the paint, against just 28 for Lasell.
Springfield head coach Naomi Graves believes the Pride’s size advantage allowed them to focus on the interior when hunting baskets, where senior forward Angie Czeremcha and junior guard Carrie Hess shined.
“We tried to go inside because we knew we had a mismatch,” Graves said. “Angie played really well inside. I thought Carrie did some good things.”
Czeremcha posted 19 points and seven rebounds, while Hess finished with seven points and six rebounds. However, it was sophomore guard Claire Finney who was the Pride’s leading scorer.
Finney put up 22 points on excellent efficiency (77 percent from the field), and added a pair of rebounds and assists. Graves was thrilled by Finney’s show stealing performance for Springfield.
“The person who really stood out for me today in the game was Claire,” Graves said. “I thought Claire really took over offensively.”
Another key reason for Springfield’s season-high offensive output was their consistent shooting. The Pride shot 50 percent or better from the field in three of the game’s four quarters, and this continued shot-making went a long way in allowing little doubt about the final outcome of the game.
While Springfield had a strong game on the offensive end of the court, they were formidable on defense, too. The Pride forced 15 turnovers in the game (10 steals and five blocks).
What’s more, the Pride were able to convert these turnovers into points at the other end – Springfield had 24 points off of turnovers and 17 fastbreak points. Meanwhile, the Boomers had just 10 and two points in those respective categories.
The Pride’s ability to win these margins helped fuel another victory at a time when the team is playing quality basketball. Springfield has won four games in a row, and Graves thinks the team’s ability to work together on the court is a driving force behind their success.
“I think our team is doing some really good things,” Graves said. “And the secret to our team right now is our chemistry, our togetherness. Because sometimes it can be a different person every game that sets up really big.”
Springfield moves to 6-3 on the season with the win. The Pride look to extend their win streak to five games on Saturday, Dec. 14 when they host Albertus Magnus at 1 p.m.
(Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)