Cambridge, Mass. - January 26, 2021 - Despite a late push, the Springfield College women's basketball program came up short against MIT by a final score of 76-72 in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) showdown on Wednesday evening at the Rockwell Cage. 

Springfield, who entered the game ranked No. 9 in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll, are now 16-1 on the season. The Engineers even out to 7-7 and 3-1 in conference play. Springfield shot 44.1% from from the field on 26-of-59 shooting and turned 11 MIT turnovers into 18 points. 

Sam Hourihan (Bridgewater, Mass.) paced the Pride with 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting to go along with 12 rebounds. Rachel Vinton (Rutland, Mass.) contributed 18 points, four assists, and four rebounds, while Angela Czeremcha (West Springfield, Mass.) came off the bench with 10 points and nine caroms. 

Christina Antonakakis led all scorers with 45 points on 15-of-24 shooting from the field. Kylie Gallagher pitched in 12 points and 10 rebounds. 

The Engineers pushed out to an 14-9 lead with 5:30 to play in the first quarter as Gallagher stuck a jumper from beyond the arc off the feed from Antonakakis. The Pride would string together a few stops and cut into the MIT lead as Sidney Wentland (Elk River, Minn.) canned a three at 2:53 mark to make it 16-14 in favor of the hosts. Czeremcha drew a foul with 22 ticks left to bring the score to 18-17 just before the end of the first frame. 

The Engineers gained separation in the second quarter by limiting Springfield to just five points in the quarter. MIT would go into the half with a 33-22 advantage over the Pride. At 5:51 in the third, Springfield cut the deficit to 43-26 as Vinton converted a pair from the line. Sparked by another Anatonakakis three, the Engineers ripped off a 13-2 spurt to go up 56-38 with 3:20 to play. The Pride would close the quarter with a 10-2 run to bring the score back to 58-48. 

Springfield continued to chip away at the Engineers' lead and were able cut it to six with 1:33 to go after Vinton started a fast break with a steal and found Stephanie Lyons (Boston, Mass.) for the three, which made the deficit 72-66. Hourihan would make a pair of threes with 50 seconds remaining, and again, from out front with just 24 ticks to go to bring Springfield within two at 72-74, however, MIT would hold on and take the win. 

No. 9/15 Springfield travels to Babson on Saturday.