Basketball Rolls Past Clark, 67-52
SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (Dec. 12, 2009) – Sophomore Tricia Chase piled up a career high 16 points to go with six rebounds, as the Mount Holyoke College women’s basketball team cruised to a 67-52 triumph over New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) foe Clark University this afternoon at the Mildred Howard Gymnasium. The forward went 5-of-6 from the floor and converted all four of her free throw attempts.
In addition to Chase, three other players reached double digits in the scoring column for the Lyons, who knocked down 32.4% (22-68) of their shots from the field and 88.9% (16-18) of their free throw tries. First year guard Angelica Pascual posted 15 points, seven boards and five steals, while sophomore guard Christine Chancy tallied ten points, eight rebounds and six assists. Mount Holyoke also received a boost from senior guard Erin Cain, who drained three shots from beyond the arc en route to 13 points. The Lyons finished with 14 assists on 22 made baskets and committed just 10 turnovers.
Clark struggled from the field, making just 28.6% (14-49) of their attempts. The Cougars were forced into 24 turnovers and shot 19.0% (4-21) from three point range. They fell despite winning the battle of the backboards 48-36. Senior forward Jillian Camilleri registered game highs of 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead the way. Clark also received solid production from sophomore forward Kate Minister, who collected 11 points and five boards.
The Lyons jumped out to a 17-6 advantage following a three pointer by Cain just over eight minutes into the contest. They enjoyed a 21-12 edge at the 8:04 mark, but Clark erupted for the next seven points over a two minute span to trim the gap to 21-19. Mount Holyoke then closed out the half with an 11-4 run to take a 32-23 lead into the locker room. Chase made all four of her shots from the field in the opening frame and led all scorers with nine points at the break. Camilleri had eight for the guests.
Mount Holyoke netted five three pointers in the second stanza to pull away. The Lyons extended their cushion to 42-25 after Chancy and Cain delivered back-to-back treys and never looked back. They led by as many as 24 points (66-42) in the waning minutes. Chancy finished the second half with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting from the floor, including 2-of-2 from long range. Cain also knocked down a pair of trifectas after the intermission. Camilleri led the Cougars with 10 points in the second period.
Mount Holyoke (4-4, 2-2 NEWMAC) will return to action on Tuesday, when it hosts Worcester State College. The non-conference clash is slated to tip off at 6:00 p.m. Clark (2-7, 1-3 NEWMAC) will be off until Wednesday, December 30, when it pays a visit to Eastern Connecticut State University at 5:00 p.m.