Women's Basketball Falls To Springfield - O'Connell Named to All-Tournament Team
Springfield, Mass. – Junior guard Quinn O'Connell (Sterling, Mass.) was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Hampton Inn West Springfield/Naismith Classic on Saturday afternoon as the Rams were defeated 76-62 by Springfield College in the consolation game.
Springfield received 24 points and eight rebounds from senior center Ava Adamopoulos (Ludlow, Mass.), as they recorded the victory after falling on a last second shot yesterday.
With the win, Springfield College is now 6-4 overall, while Framingham State suffers its second-straight loss and is now 9-2 on the year.
The Pride was 27-of-55 (49.1%) from the field in the victory, while the Rams were 26-of-63 (41.3%) in the setback. Springfield College held a 40-30 advantage on the glass.
Along with Adamopoulos, the Pride also received solid performances from Chelsea McAllister (Baltimore, Vt.), who notched 16 points, while senior guard Lexi Windwer (Milton, Mass.) posted 14 points, including four from behind the arc. The Pride's Gracie Restituyo (Jersey City, N.J.) was named to the All-Tournament team.
Framingham State was led by Raegan Mulherin (Baldwinville, Mass.), who notched 17 points, while O'Connell chipped in 15 points on the afternoon. Mulherin and Tiphani Harris (Revere, Mass.) both pulled down a team-high six rebounds.
Springfield College jumped out to an early 6-0 lead following a lay-up from Windwer at the 7:29 mark of the first quarter, before a five-point run from the Rams, capped by a lay-up from Harris made it 6-5. Still holding on to a one-point lead with 3:22 left in the frame, Springfield College received three-pointers from Molly McCausland (Millbury, Mass.) and Windwer to make it 17-9, before Quinn O'Connell (Sterling, Mass.) made it a two-point game with a three of her own with 18 seconds left in the frame.
Even at 29 points with 6:40 left in the half, back-to-back lay-ups from Adamopoulos gave the Pride a four-point cushion, before a three-pointer from Mulherin and a pair of free throws from Harris gave the Rams a 34-33 lead with 3:01 to play in the stanza. After the Pride regained a three-point lead on a pair of free throws from Heather King (Lebanon, N.H.), Lauren Donahue (Attleboro, Mass.) converted a lay-up with 1:29 to play to send it into halftime with the Rams trailing 37-36.
Back-to-back lay-ups from Connolly and Alycia Rackliffe (Feeding Hills, Mass.) gave the Rams a three-point lead to begin the second half, before Springfield College pulled even on another three from Windwer just 2:50 into the frame. Adamopoulos would convert a pair of baskets in the final minute of the third quarter to give the Pride a 49-46 lead heading into the fourth.
Four consecutive points from King gave the Pride a 56-53 lead just 2:47 into the frame, before a pair of free throws from Adamopoulos made it 58-53, Springfield College. With just under six minutes to play, a three-pointer from O'Connell cut it back to a two-point game, before a free-throw from Danielle Racette (North Adams, Mass.) and an offensive rebound and finish from Adamopoulos made it 61-56, Pride. From there, another three from Windwer, followed by a pair of free throws from McAllister and a basket from Adamopoulos gave Springfield College a 10-point lead with 4:01 to play.
The Rams open MASCAC action on Wednesday, January 4th at home against Salem State at 8 p.m.
Release courtesy of SC Sports Information