NEWTON, Mass. -- Sophomore Valerie Martin (Derry, N.H.) scored 18 points, grabbed nine rebounds, recorded six steals and dished out three assists to lead four players in double figures as Mount Ida posted a 78-54 non-league college women's basketball victory over Mount Holyoke Saturday afternoon at the Athletic Center. With the win, the Mustangs improve to 6-2 on the season, while the Lyons drop to 0-8 overall.
The Mustangs scored the first 11 points of the contest and built a 20-point advantage (29-9) in the opening 10 minutes of action en route to a 48-25 lead at the break, as half of Mount Ida's first half scoring total came off of turnover conversions. The hosts increased their edge to as much as 30 points in the closing minutes of play to post their second straight triumph overall.
Senior Imani Bumpus (Dedham, Mass.) added 10 points, six assists, six steals and four rebounds in the win for the Mustangs, who received 10 points, four assists and three boards from senior Breanna Muir (Wareham, Mass.) along with 10 points and a pair of caroms from fellow senior Patricia Liotta (Hampton Bays, N.Y.). Freshman Melody Millett (Naples, Maine) collected seven points and five rebounds off the bench for the hosts, who received seven points from senior Jaime Moscato (Taunton, Mass.) as well as six points from sophomore Jessica Cyr (Ashford, Conn.). Freshman Skyler Sanborn (VInalhaven, Maine) chipped in with six points, four rebounds and a pair of blocks for Mount Ida, which received a combined seven boards from sophomores Jillian Alperin (Needham, Mass.) and Alexa Galluci (North Stonington, Conn.). The Mustangs shot 41 percent (31-76) from the field overall and connected for six three-pointers on the day, as the hosts held a 54-37 rebounding advantage that included a 22-9 edge on the offensive glass alone.
Sophomore Katlyn Grover (Bernardston, Mass.) scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed three rebounds in the setback for the visiting Lyons. First year Raquel Fitzpatrick (Providence R.I.) had her strongest game of the year, stuffing the stat sheet with a 13 point and 10 rebound double-double, adding six assists and six steals. Junior Leah Hodges (New Haven, Conn.) and freshman Ireland Clare Kennedy (Oakland, Calif.) each had eight points and combined for five steals for Mount Holyoke, which received six rebounds each from senior Kate Rawson (Old Town, Maine) and junior Michaela Butin (Beverly, Mass.). As a team, The Lyons shot a season-high 38 percent (22-58) from the floor overall.
Mount Ida will be idle until Tuesday, January 2nd when the Mustangs head to Leicester, Mass. to take on Becker in a non-league outing that tips-off at 7:00 p.m., while Mount Holyoke hosts Saint Joseph (Conn.) in a non-league match-up on Tuesday evening in South Hadley, Mass. beginning at 6:00 p.m.
