2008 NEWMAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT - Wheaton captures first NEWMAC Championship, downs Springfield, 74-69

March 2, 2008

NORTON, MA- The Wheaton College women's basketball team captured its first New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament championship in the league's 10-year history and will make a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 13 years, as the top-seeded Lyons downed third seed Springfield College, 74-69 in Sunday's title game in Emerson Gymnasium.

Wheaton, which is now unbeaten in 13 conference tournament home games, claimed its first league tourney title since winning the New England Women's 8 Conference (NEW 8) in 1995. Today's championship marked the Lyons' fifth dating back to 1987. Posting the program's third-highest season win total of 22 with today's victory while improving to 22-6 with its seventh straight win, Wheaton awaits tomorrow morning's NCAA Tournament pairings. Springfield finished its year at 16-11.

A balanced scoring attack led the Lyons to victory, as five double-figure scorers combined for 66 of Wheaton's 74 points. Juniors Krystin Hickey (Manchester, NH/New Hampton School) and Bri Smith (Westford, MA/Westford Academy) accounted for 15 points apiece, while senior Becky Aitchison (Norwalk, CT/Trinity Catholic) chipped in with 13. Sophomore Ida Kruse (Vershire, VT/Rivendell Academy) recorded 12 points and classmate Andrea Bailey (Needham, MA/Needham) added 11.

For Springfield, junior Lauren O'Connor (Valhalla, NY/Valhalla) posted 16 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, while senior Tara McCarthy (Bristol, RI/La Salle Academy) dumped in 18 points. Senior Christine Cotter (Stoughton, MA/Stoughton) and freshman Rachelle Walker (Lee, MA/Lee) had eight points each.

Springfield, which has won five NEWMAC Tournament crowns and appeared in seven of the last eight tourney finals, led for the better part of a game that featured 12 lead swings and 10 ties. The 10th tie came at 62-all with 4:06 to play, as the hosts were in the midst of an 8-0 run to overcome a 62-58 deficit and take the lead for good. Bailey scored four straight points to tie things up before a Hickey lay-up at 3:17 gave Wheaton a 64-62 edge. The Pride got as close as one on two occasions, with the latter coming with 1:50 left, but a huge conventional three-point play from Hickey with 53.4 ticks remaining put the Lyons back in front by four. Steals and free throws by Bailey and Aitchison on ensuing possessions in the final 37.1 sealed the win.

The Pride came out of the second-half gate with an offensive flurry, making six of its first nine shots, and led 48-43 at 13:32. The Lyons slowly chipped away at their deficit, eventually forcing the contest's eighth tie with 9:18 to go. Two lead changes and a pair of ties transpired before Wheaton went in front for good at 3:17.

To open the first half, Springfield hit five of its initial six shots to lead 15-7 with 14:35 to go. Wheaton answered with eight straight points during 2:27 to knot the score at 15, with Kruse hitting four free throws during the run. During the final 13:17 of the frame, neither team led by more than four points, as the Lyons and Pride played to nine lead changes and six ties in the stanza. Springfield held a 35-33 edge at the intermission. The hosts made 42.9 percent of their first-half shots, while the Pride shot 48.3 percent, hitting just nine of its final 23 field goal attempts.

Sophomore Jenny Champney (Bedford, MA/Bedford) was nearly Wheaton's sixth double-digit scorer with eight points to go alongside a team-high nine rebounds. Bailey and Hickey handed out six and five assists, respectively, while Aitchison and Bailey each had three steals. Kruse finished with six rebounds.

Walker led Springfield with a game-best nine assists, Cotter and McCarthy had three steals apiece, and freshmen Abby Connors (Douglas, MA/Douglas) and Meaghan Macarthur (Baiting Hollow, NY/Mcgann-Mercy) had seven points each.

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