SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (November 17, 2015) - The Springfield College women's basketball team outscored Western New England University 7-2 over the final 1:34 of the fourth quarter to force overtime, before coming away with a  70-65 non-conference victory in the battle of crosstown rivals this evening at Blake Arena.
 
Western New England appeared to be on its way to a win late in the fourth quarter, as junior forward Emily Anderson (Rocky Hill, Conn.) converted a layup to give the Golden Bears a five-point lead (57-52) with 1:47 on the clock.
 
Springfield junior guard Lexi Windwer (Milton, Mass.) hit a three-pointer on the Pride's next possession, however, and the two teams traded a pair of free throws before senior guard Heather Lewis (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) knocked down the game-tying jumper with seven seconds left in regulation.
 
Western New England senior forward Chelsea Vujs (Berlin, Conn.) attempted a contested floater with one second remaining, but the shot didn't fall, sending the game to overtime.
 
Springfield took control early in the extra session, scoring the first six points on a pair of jumpers by Lewis and two free throws from sophomore Heather King (Lebanon, N.H.). Western New England answered with a 4-0 run and trailed by just two following a layup by freshman Allison Mishol (Longmeadow, Mass.) with 33 seconds remaining, but the Golden Bears were unable to score the rest of the way and Springfield knocked down three of its four free throws to seal the win.
 
Anderson led four Golden Bears in double-figures tonight with a career-high 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field and 4-of-4 from the free throw line, while Vujs filled up the box score with 15 points, six rebounds and six assists. Mishol was also a key contributor with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-4 from beyond the arc, to go with six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
 
Sophomore guard Dorothy O'Neill (Staten Island, N.Y.) turned in a strong all-around effort with ten points, seven rebounds, and six assists in 43 minutes of action, while senior center Samantha Howe (Agawam, Mass.) chipped in with seven rebounds off the bench.
 
Springfield was powered by junior center Ava Adamopoulos's (Ludlow, Mass.) 20-point, 13-rebound performance off the bench, leading the way as the Pride outscored the Golden Bears 28-16 in the paint. Lewis recorded 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting to go with six rebounds, while Windwer added 12 points and six boards.
 
Springfield led by seven (19-12) after one quarter and by five (28-23) at the half, before Western New England broke out for 21 points in the third quarter to pull ahead. The Golden Bears opened the third on an 8-1 run, taking the lead at the 6:47 mark on a three-pointer by Mishol. Springfield regained a one-point edge on its next possession, and the score remained close until Vujs scored the final six points of the quarter to give Western New England a 44-38 lead heading into the fourth.
 
Adamopoulos helped keep the Pride within striking distance early in the fourth quarter, scoring the team's first five points, but Western New England held a seven-point lead (50-43) after a jumper by Anderson at the 5:23 mark. The Golden Bears' cushion remained at seven until Lewis' jumper with 2:52 remaining sparked an 11-4 Springfield run the rest of the quarter to send the game to overtime.
 
Western New England (1-2, 0-0 CCC) returns to the Alumni Healthful Living Center for its home opener against Westfield State University on Saturday at 1 p.m., while Springfield (1-0, 0-0 NEWMAC) will hit the road for two games at the NYU Invitational this weekend.