BABSON PARK, Mass.—Junior Lindsey Roche (Arlington, Mass.) led five players in double figures with 15 points and Babson College shot a blistering 51.7 percent, cruising to a 78-59 victory over visiting Springfield College in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) women's basketball action on Saturday afternoon at Staake Gymnasium.

With the win, Babson is now 8-9 overall and 8-5 in conference play, while Springfield drops to 10-8 overall and 6-7 in the NEWMAC.

First-year Taylor Russell (Braintree, Mass.) had a career-high 12 points and sophomores Linnett Graber (Roseland, N.J.) and Megan Otto (Scituate, Mass.), as well as first-year Giovanna Pickering (Hull, Mass.) each chipped in with 10 for the Beavers. Otto also pulled down a team-high six boards while sophomore Briana Hunt (Newton, Mass.) dished out a game-high five assists.

Junior Jaimie Bickelhaupt (Brookfield, Conn.) had 11 points and seven rebounds for the Pride while sophomore Emily Gins (Fort Myers, Fla.) added 10 points and 10 boards. Junior Andrea Moschetta (Harrison, N.Y.) had a team-high four assists.

Babson raced to a 10-0 lead in the opening 3:16 of the game, sparked by six points from Hunt. Back-to-back hoops from Bickelhaupt and junior Riley Fake (Brockport, N.Y.) cut the Beavers' lead to 20-12 at the 10:23 mark, but junior Erin Young (Westwood, Mass.) and Roche responded with consecutive three-pointers to put Babson in front 26-12 with 9:46 to go until halftime.

The Green and White shot 46.9 percent (15-for-32) in the first half and drilled seven of its season-high 10 three-pointers, including four from Roche, in the opening 20 minutes. The Pride, which shot 43.3 percent (13-for-30) in the opening period closed to within 40-33 at the break after first-year Lexi Windwer (Milton, Mass.) and Bickelhaupt sandwiched three-pointers around a layup from Otto.

Leading 55-39 following a Graber layup with 14:40 to go in the game, the Beavers held Springfield without a field goal over the next six and a half minutes and used a 14-2 run to put the game away.

Russell knocked down a three and Otto scored on a layup on the next possession to push the lead to 21. Sophomore Jess Coelho (Westport, Conn.) hit a pair of free throws, Russell scored off a feed from first-year McKenna Cudgma (Hingham, Mass.), Roche knocked down her fifth trifecta of the game, and Cudgma capped the run with a lay in to make it 69-41 with 8:26 to go.

Babson, which made 10 of its first 11 shots in the second half, held the Pride to just 35.7 percent (10-for-28) shooting after halftime. The Beavers outscored Springfield 28-22 in the paint and 26-10 off turnovers.

Both teams return to action on Wednesday at 7 p.m. as Babson travels to first-place Wellesley, while Springfield hosts WPI.

GAME NOTES: Babson is now 22-9 all-time against Springfield and has won 15 of the last 16 meetings between the two teams going back to 2007…The Beavers are now 6-2 when leading at halftime this season…Babson is 7-3 when holding its opponents under 60 points this year…The Beavers 51.7 field goal percentage is their best since shooting 60 percent in a win at Smith on February 10, 2013.