Golden Bears Fall to Springfield in Double Overtime Thriller, 83-75

Senior forward Paige Young breaks out for career-high 18 points in 2016-17 opener

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (November 15, 2016) – After battling through 40 minutes of regulation and two five-minute overtime periods, the Western New England University women's basketball team came up just short in an 83-75 non-conference setback to crosstown rival Springfield College this evening in the 2016-17 season-opener for both teams at the Alumni Healthful Living Center.

Top Performers
• After missing the majority of last season with an injury, senior forward Paige Young (Berlin, Conn.) enjoyed a breakout performance tonight, scoring a career-high 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field and 4-of-10 from the free throw line. Young also pulled down eight rebounds to go with three steals and one assist.
• Senior forward Emily Anderson (Rocky Hill, Conn.) connected on 3-of-4 three-point attempts and 5-of-7 free throws on her way to a 16-point effort.
• Junior guard Dorothy O'Neill (Staten Island, N.Y.) was also in double-figures with 14 points after knocking down a pair of triples and all six of her attempts from the charity stripe. O'Neill also added four rebounds and five assists for the Golden Bears.

• Senior center Ava Adamopoulos (Ludlow, Mass.) led Springfield with 19 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and one block in 29 minutes off the bench.
• Sophomore guard Chelsea McAllister (Springfield, Vt.) also scored 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field (5-of-9 3-pt FG) and 2-of-6 from the free throw line.

Game Review
• Springfield opened up an 8-3 advantage midway through the first quarter and led by the same margin (13-8) after ten minutes.
• Western New England faced an eight-point deficit (18-10) early in the second quarter, but the Golden Bears outscored the Pride 6-0 over the final two minutes of the period to take a 29-28 lead heading into the half. O'Neill drained a three-pointer with 11 seconds on the clock to give Western New England its first lead of the night.
• The Golden Bears extended their advantage to nine (39-30) midway through the third quarter on a layup by senior guard Sammie Battaini (Leominster, Mass.), but Springfield fought back to tie the score at 41 on a triple by McAllister. Western New England regained a two-point lead (46-44) heading into the fourth on a layup by freshman guard Meghan Orbann (East Hampton, Conn.).
• After the lead changed hands several times midway the fourth quarter, Western New England was able to open up a four-point cushion (60-56) as O'Neill made two free throws with 56 seconds remaining. McAllister scored five straight points for the Pride, however, to give the visitors a 61-60 edge. After a Western New England timeout, Young was fouled with 12 seconds left and made 1-of-2 free throws, tying the score, and the Golden Bears came up with a defensive stop on Springfield's ensuing possession to force overtime.
• Adamopolous scored all six of the Pride's points in the first OT period, while Young had five for the Golden Bears. With Western New England trailing by three (67-64) and just 22 seconds remaining, Young came through in the clutch with a traditional three-point play, sending the contest to a second overtime.
• The two teams traded free throws early in the second extra period, before a jumper by Springfield freshman guard Alex Goslin (South Windsor, Conn.) with 2:51 on the clock sparked an 8-0 run that allowed the Pride to open up a 78-70 lead. Western New England was unable to recover, falling by the same margin.

Notes
• The Golden Bears shot 36.4% from the field (24-of-66), while Springfield connected on 23-of-70 field goals (32.9%).
• The Pride held a 56-39 rebounding advantage, led by Adamopolous (11) and junior forward Heather King (Lebanon, N.H.), who finished with ten.
• Western New England turned the ball over just ten times all night, resulting in six Springfield points.
• Tonight's contest marked the second straight overtime game between Western New England and Springfield. The Pride came away with a 70-65 triumph at Blake Arena last November.  
• Orbann finished with six points, five rebounds, one assist and one block in her collegiate debut.

Up Next
Western New England (0-1) will look to bounce back on Thursday night, when the Golden Bears host Emerson in another non-conference contest at the AHLC. Springfield (1-0) returns to action next Tuesday at Williams.