Feb. 21, 2007
Box Score
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Senior captain Colleen Burke scored 21 points, including a huge three-pointer with 2:02 left putting her team ahead for good, to lead the Babson College women's basketball team to a 66-63 upset victory over Springfield College in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference quarterfinal game in post-season tournament play at SC's Blake Arena this evening.
As a result, sixth-seeded Babson upped its record to 13-13 overall, while #3 Springfield ended its season with a 14-12 mark. The Beavers will now advance to play this Saturday's semifinal round at WPI, where they will take on second-seeded Mount Holyoke at 6:30 p.m.
Burke, a senior guard from Pittsfield, Mass., was immense in the second half, scoring 18 of her 21 points in that stanza. She led her team all the way back from a nine-point halftime deficit, making seven of her 10 field goal attempts, including four of her five three-point shots. Babson was in a 30-21 hole at the intermission after trailing by as many as 13 points in the opening period.
A key juncture came in the last 90 seconds of the first half. With the score 28-15, Babson's Burke had just missed a three-pointer and SC had corralled the rebound. However, junior forward Linsey Poulson (Leominster, Mass.) recorded a huge steal underneath her own basket and laid it in, cutting the margin to 28-17. Sophomore guard Becky Pelletier (Harwinton, Conn.), who scored some big points down the stretch, made a lay-up to cut it to 28-19 with 45 seconds left. For Springfield, senior guard Caitlyn Cuthbertson (Assonet, Mass.) made a lay-up with 21 seconds left, but senior forward Suzy Ward (No. Attleboro, Mass.) hit a jumper with seven seconds to go to cut it to nine for the Beavers.
Springfield scored the first hoop to start the second half, but things started to unravel for the home team at that point. Babson outscored SC, 15-4, over the next 5:04, and took a 36-35 lead with 13:43 to go. Burke scored 11 of those 15 points.
The Pride answered with a 9-2 stretch, taking a 44-38 lead with 10:45 to go on a lay-up by sophomore center Lauren O'Connor (Valhalla, N.Y.). However, Babson answered again with a 12-3 run, taking a five-point lead, its largest of the game, with 6:40 left.
Babson maintained small advantages in the last five minutes. Twice Springfield came back to tie, first at 52 all on a free throw by O'Connor with 4:09 left, and again at 59-all on a three-pointer by Cuthbertson with 2:19 to go. SC even managed a one-point lead in between, 54-53, on a jumper by junior Christine Cotter (Stoughton, Mass.) with 3:37 remaining.
Cuthbertson's tying three-pointer was quickly answered by Burke, who made a matching three-pointer just 17 seconds later (2:02 left) to give Babson the lead for good. That would prove to be the game's final field goal, as O'Connor and Cotter each made one free throw to cut it to 62-61 with just over a minute to go.
Pelletier continued her magnificent play of late by scoring her team's final four points, all of which came from the line. She hit two free throws with exactly one minute left, restoring Babson's three-point advantage at 64-61, but O'Connor came back with two free throws for SC with 45 ticks left, making it 64-63.
O'Connor rebounded an errant free throw with 15 seconds left, and SC had its best chance when junior guard Tara McCarthy (Bristol, R.I.), the league's leading three-point shooter, attempted her specialty from the top of the key. Babson corralled the rebound, and sophomore guard Jillian Brooks (Ashland, Mass.) drew a foul with 11 seconds left. She would misfire on the ensuing foul shot, but Poulson grabbed the offensive rebound to help the Beavers maintain possession.
Pelletier made two free throws with seven seconds left, giving Babson a three-point lead once again, and McCarthy's desperation three-pointer at the buzzer came up short as Babson claimed the upset win.
In addition to Burke's season-high 21 points, Ward scored 12 points and grabbed with 10 rebounds for Babson. Pelletier finished with 10 points and five assists in the win, and Poulson tossed in eight points and collected six boards.
For Springfield, only one player scored in double figures, as O'Connor netted 22 to go along with a game-high 14 rebounds. Cuthbertson followed with nine points, and Cotter added eight. Sophomore forward Corey Finch (Hanover, Pa.) pulled down 10 rebounds in defeat.
NOTE: Taken from a Springfield College press release.
