SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Babson College women's basketball team completed its fourth consecutive regular-season sweep of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) on Saturday, as the 19th-ranked Beavers downed host Springfield, 62-48, at Blake Arena.
Babson (23-2 overall, 18-0 NEWMAC) has now won 83 consecutive games against league opponents, and will host the Semifinals and Finals of the NEWMAC Tournament next weekend. As the tourney's top seed, the Beavers will play in the first semifinal matchup at 1 p.m. on Saturday against the winner of the quarterfinal game between fourth-seeded WPI and fifth-seeded Coast Guard.
Springfield's season comes to a close with a 4-20 record, including a 2-16 mark in league play.
Senior captain Sarah Collins led all players with 17 points and 14 rebounds for the Beavers, while Erin Young provided 12 points off the bench. Linnett Graber chipped in 10 points and three assists as Babson finished the afternoon shooting 37% (20-54).
For Springfield, Tamara Tribble recorded 10 rebounds and nine points, and Meghan Biondolillo tallied eight points. Briana Freymuth and Andrea Moschetta posted seven points each.
Biondolillo drilled a three-point 2:30 into the contest to provide the game's only tie at three-all. Over the next 12:18, Babson outscored the Pride 27-4 to take a stronghold on the game, grabbing a 30-7 advantage on a Graber three-point play. Collins was dominant in the opening 20 minutes of play for the Beavers, producing 11 points and six boards.
The Pride used a deep three from Freymuth and an inside bucket from Jaimie Bickelhaupt in the opening 1:28 of the second half to get within 12 at 32-20. However, Babson answered with a 8-2 push, capped off by a Collins three-point play to regain an 18-point cushion with 16:40 to play.
Despite trailing by as many as 24 in the second half, the Pride battled down the stretch, clawing back within 14 on a pair of occasions, the last coming on Moschetta's fast-break bucket with seven seconds left.
The Beavers held a 44-33 edge on the glass, including hauling in 17 offensive rebounds which led to 19 second-chance points.
Courtesy of a Springfield College press release.
GAME NOTES: The double-double was Collins' 21st of the season. She came into the weekend ranked second in all of Division III in that category... The Beavers now hold a 21-8 advantage in the all-time series against the Pride.