SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – February 21, 2007 – 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, Babson has upped its record to 13-13 overall, while Springfield ends its season with a 14-12 mark. Babson was the #6-seed in this tourney, while Springfield was the #3-seed. Babson will now advance to play at #1-seeded WPI this Saturday in NEWMAC Tourney semifinal play. In the first game at 4:30 p.m., WPI will take on #4-seeded Wheaton. Babson will then play #2-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. She made seven of her 10 field goal attempts in that half, including four of her five three-point attempts. Babson had trailed 30-21 at the intermission. In fact, the Beavers had trailed by as many as 13 points on three occasions in the first half, 19-6, 26-13, and 28-15, the last with 1:39 to go.

A key juncture came in the last minute and a half of that half. With the score 28-15, Babson’s Burke had just missed a three-pointer and SC had corralled the rebound. But junior forward Linsey Poulson (Leominster, Mass.) stole the ball right 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 then it started to unravel for the home team. 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 then ran off a 9-2 stretch, giving it a 44-38 lead with 10:45 to go, on a lay-up by sophomore center Lauren O’Connor (Valhalla, N.Y.). But Babson answered with a 12-3 run, giving it a five-point lead, its largest of the game (52-47), with 6:40 left.

Babson kept small advantages in the last five minutes. Twice Springfield came back to tie, 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 the midst of that at 54-53 on a jumper by junior Christine Cotter (Stoughton, Mass.) with 3:37 left.

Cuthbertson’s tying three-pointer was short-lived. That’s because Burke made a matching three-pointer just 17 seconds later (2:02 left), giving Babson the lead for good.

There were no more field goals to be scored. O’Connor made one free throw to cut it to 62-60 with 1:46 left. Cotter then made one with 1:20 to go to cut it to 62-61.

Pelletier was destined to score her team’s last four points, all from the line. She scored two free throws with exactly one minute left, restoring Babson’s three-point advantage at 64-61. But O’Connor answered with two free throws for SC with 45 ticks left, making it 64-63.

With 27 seconds left, Cuthbertson stole the ball, but was then immediately charged with a controversial travel. Babson junior guard Caitlin Boulier (Wolcott, Conn.) was then fouled, but missed the front end of a 1-and-1.

O’Connor rebounded. With 15 seconds left, SC had its best chance when junior guard Tara McCarthy (Bristol, R.I.), the league’s leading three-point shooter, attempted her specialty from straight on. Babson got the rebound, and sophomore guard Jillian Brooks (Ashland, Mass.) was fouled. Brooks, however, missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 11 seconds left. But the rebound, the biggest of the game, was pulled down by Babson’s Poulson in yet another key moment.

With seven seconds left, Pelletier then made two free throws, giving Babson a three-point lead once again. Finally, a McCarthy contested-three-pointer at the buzzer never hit iron, and Babson came away with the win.

Behind Burke for Babson, Ward scored 12 points (with 10 rebounds), Pelletier 10, and Poulson 8 (with six rebounds). For Springfield, only one player scored in double figures, O’Connor with 22. She ended with a game-high 14 rebounds. Cuthbertson followed with nine points, Cotter with eight. Sophomore forward Corey Finch (Hanover, Pa.) added 10 rebounds.

Babson shot .413 for the game, while SC shot just .314. Only O’Connor shot well for the Pride (7-of-14). Burke shot 8-of-14 for the game for the Beavers. Both teams had 45 rebounds. Babson made 5-of-13 three-pointers, all by Burke. SC was just 3-of-17.

published: 02/21/2007