SPRINGFIELD, MA – The Wilkes University women's basketball team was tied with No. 13 Springfield College following the first quarter before the Pride pulled away in the second quarter to a 60-30 final score Saturday night in the final game of the Hampton Inn West Springfield/Naismith Classic at Blake Arena.

Wilkes dropped to 3-9 overall with the loss, the third defeat of the season for the Colonels to a nationally ranked team. Springfield improved to 10-2 overall with the victory on its home court.

The Colonels finished the first quarter with the score tied at 10-10. Wilkes held leads at 4-3 following a Julia Marino (Washington Township, NJ/Washington Township) jumper, 8-7 following two free throws by Nadia Evanosky (Dallas, PA/Dallas), and 10-8 after two free throws by Brenna Babcock (Sweet Valley, PA/Northwest Area).

Springfield outscored Wilkes 38-10 over the second and third quarters to build its lead.

Evanosky led the Colonels with eight points. Yamirelis Matos (Springfield, MA/Chicopee) and Brianna Horton (Verona, NJ/Verona) led the team with five rebounds. Matos and Marino had three steals.

Sam Hourihan led Springfield with 16 points, 13 rebounds, and seven blocks.

Matos was named to the Hampton Inn West Springfield/Naismith Classic All-Tournament Team. She scored 19 points the night before against Skidmore College.
 

Wilkes returns to Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom play, where the Colonels are 2-1, on Wednesday when they travel to Stevens Institute of Technology for an 8:00 p.m. game in Hoboken, N.J.