THE MATCHUP: Mount Holyoke hosts NEWMAC foe MIT Saturday afternoon (1:00 p.m.) at the Mildred S. Howard Gymnasium. The Lyons faced off against the Engineers on December 10, falling by a score of 43-36. They were paced by Angelica Pascual, who posted 13 points and four rebounds. The guard drained a three-pointer to give her team a 27-26 lead in the early stages of the second half, but MIT responded with eight straight points and never looked back. Tamara Pena and Alexxis Isaac netted 10 points apiece to set the tone for the Engineers.
THE LYONS: Mount Holyoke (3-16, 1-12 NEWMAC) has picked up wins over Western New England University, Simmons College and the Coast Guard Academy thus far this season. The Lyons have been paced by guard Angelica Pascual, who has drained 26 shots from beyond the arc en route to 11.8 points per game. She has also chipped in with 31 assists and 24 steals. Newcomer Amber Legare has made an immediate impact in the paint, recording 8.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per outing to go with 28 blocked shots. Meanwhile, guards Annabel Barrett and Christine Chancy have added 9.1 and 7.9 points per game, respectively. Fellow guard Jasmine Brown has set the tone for Mount Holyoke's offensive attack with 48 assists.
THE ENGINEERS: MIT (9-10, 5-8 NEWMAC) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 45-34 triumph over the Coast Guard Academy on Wednesday. With the win, the Engineers completed the season sweep of the Bears. They have also defeated WPI, Mount Holyoke and Wheaton College in league play. Forward Rachel Hunt has recorded 8.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game to lead the way. The sophomore has been dominant on the defensive end, piling up 30 blocked shots and 20 steals. MIT has also received a boost from newcomer Mari Kordell, who has averaged 9.9 points per game to go with 45 assists. Fellow guard Tamara Pena has been effective on the offensive end as well, draining 33 three-pointers en route to 8.3 points per game.
NEXT UP: Both squads will resume their NEWMAC schedules on Wednesday. Mount Holyoke will visit WPI at 7:00 p.m. Meanwhile, MIT will host nationally-ranked Babson College at 8:00 p.m.
