Spirit Look To Put Out Blaze
February 26, 2004 - National Women's Basketball League (NWBL)
Springfield Spirit News Release
West Springfield, February 26, 2004 â The Springfield Spirit are set to take on the visiting Chicago Blaze this Saturday at 7pm on the campus of Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, CT. This will be the third meeting of the season between these two teams with the Blaze winning the first game in Springfield and the Spirit winning the second game in Chicago.
When asked about the upcoming contest, Springfield Spirit President and Owner Stephen Fox stated, "We are looking forward to this game. We suffered a tough loss in Birmingham this week and with the way our team played against the Blaze the last time, we are very hopeful that we can rebound from the loss in Birmingham and get our team on track. This should be a hard fought battle, but with the way our team plays and the amount of heart each player plays with, we are confident."
A recent bright spot for the Spirit has been the recent emergence of former UCONN grad Rita Williams. For the past three games Rita has been leading the way offensively for the Spirit providing 26 points against the Power, 18 points against the Chill and 16 points against the Fury. Stephen Fox stated, "Its great to see Rita at the top of her game again. She has been a proven leader on the court in the past and we are hoping that she starts to lead the Spirit and get us back on track this season."
The Chicago Blaze is being led into Saturday's contest by the sharp shooting of Jamie Redd. She is currently ranked 3rd in the NWBL in scoring, averaging 16.8 points per game. Kim Williams and Taquilla Allen are also helping carry the offensive load for the Blaze as they are averaging 11.1 ppg. and 10.9 ppg respectively.
Cindy Blodgett is leading the way offensively for the Spirit as she is averaging 13.2 points per game and is being followed closely by Rita Williams at 12.5 ppg and Isabel Stubbs with 12.2 ppg. Isabel Stubbs is also second in rebounding with 7.3 rebounds a game and she is following the lead of Andrea Garner who is currently grabbing 7.8 rebounds per contest. Organizing the offensive attack this year for the Spirit is Stacy Clinesmith who is 2nd in the league with 5.3 assists per game.
Individual game tickets are on sale on at the Springfield Civic Center Box and Central Connecticut State University box offices. Tickets may also be charged over the phone at 413-787-6600, 800-639-8602 (SCC) and at 860-832-1989 (CCSU). Tickets for the 2004 season may also be purchased on line at www.ticketmaster.com tickets costs at CCSU are $20, $15, and $10 for adults and $12 and $10 for juniors under 18. At Cathedral H/S the tickets are $15 and $12 for adults and $10 for Junior under 18.
For more information on the Springfield Spirit and the National Women's Basketball League please visit the league site at www.nwbl.com.
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National Women's Basketball League Stories from February 26, 2004
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