SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Sophomore center Sarah Collins (Weymouth, Mass.) recorded her first career triple-double and junior forward Nicki Wurdeman (Rowley, Mass.) continued her solid play with 28 points and 16 rebounds in a 66-45 win over host Springfield College on Saturday afternoon in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) contest. With the win, Babson remains undefeated, upping its overall record to 16-0, and 10-0 in the conference. Springfield now falls to 5-12 overall, and 5-5 in the NEWMAC. The Beavers has now run its streak to 35 straight wins in league play. The Pride has lost three straight.
At the half, it was Springfield leading the Beavers, 25-19. Springfield took a 4-0 lead and never trailed in the first half, although there were two ties. Team defense proved to be the key for Springfield. The Pride held Babson to a .296 shooting percentage from the field, while shooting .360 on its own in that first stanza.
Senior guard Abby Connors (Douglas, Mass.) was the leading scorer for Springfield at the half with nine points. Junior guard Kelly Murphy (Mechanicville, N.Y.) and sophomore guard Colleen Dignum (Albany, N.Y.) each had five for the Pride.
Wurdeman led Babson with seven points at that point, followed by junior forward Kathleen King (Framingham, Mass.) with five.
The Beavers came out of the locker room strong and held the Pride scoreless for just over nine minutes to start the second half. During that run, Springfield saw a 30-28 lead evaporate to a 43-30 deficit. The Pride trailed 47-31 when they scored their next field goal with 6:27 left.
Wurdeman was the catalyst for the Beavers in the second half, scoring 21 of her 28 points. She also contributed four steals, three blocks, and one assist in the game. She made 9-of-10 free throws and seven of her 16 rebounds were off the offensive glass. Meanwhile, it was a banner day for Collins, who had flirted with her first collegiate triple-double numerous times this winter. On Saturday, she scored 11 points, pulled down 14 rebounds, and blocked a career-high 11 shots. It marked just the ninth triple-double in Division III women's basketball this season.
King scored 14 points and added six rebounds to bolster the Babson cause, while senior forward Damisi Adewumi (Bronx, N.Y.) chipped in with seven points.
For Springfield, two players scored in double figures. They were Murphy with 16 points, and Connors with 15. Dignum and junior guard Andrea Butler (Cohoes, NY.) had five points apiece.
Second half stats alone were heavily in favor of Babson. The Beavers outrebounded the hosts, 30-13. It forced ten Springfield turnovers, while committing only eight. Babson shot .483 from the floor, while allowing the Pride to shoot just .226.
Overall, the Beavers outrebounded Springfield, 47-34 while shooting .393 from the floor (22-of-56). Springfield shot .286 (16-of-56) and made 5-of-26 from 3-point range (.192).
Babson will look to continue their perfect season when they host Wheaton College for a 7pm NEWMAC contest on Wednesday evening.
Note: Taken from a Springfield College press release.