SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. - Junior forward Cleo Elizabeth-Robertson's jumper near the end of the second quarter proved the difference as Bryn Mawr College held off Mount Holyoke College, 52-40 in non-conference action on Saturday. With the victory, the Owls earn their first win of the season and move to 1-15. The Lyons slip to 0-17 on the year.
Sophomore Halena Martin (Eatontown, N.J./Monmouth Regional), who recorded a game-high 16 points, also added seven rebounds and a game-best three blocks to go along with two assists. First year Laya Paladugu (Edison, N.J./JP Stevens) posted seven points with two steals, while classmate Lipi Paladugu (Edison, N.J./JP Stevens) and junior Elizabeth Chan (New York City, N.Y./Millennium) each chipped in with six points.
For the Lyons, junior captain Leah Hodges (New Haven, Conn./Kolbe Cathedral) and first year guard Raquel Fitzpatrick (Providence, R.I./Providence Country Day School) each recorded 14 points on the afternoon. Hodges added two steals, while Fitzpatrick posted three assists and three steals. Senior forward Kate Rawson (Old Town, Maine/Old Town) posted a game-high 11 rebounds.
It was an even match through the opening quarter as racked up 12 points each. Five of the Owls points in the frame came from Martin, while Fitzpatrick poured in nine for the homestanding Lyons including a jumper to give MHC an 11-7 lead at the 2:32 mark.
The two squads continued to match buckets to open the second stanza, until a free throw make by Fitzpatrick gave MHC the 23-22 lead with 1:56 to play. The momentum proved short-lived as Elizabeth-Robertson (Fairfax, Va./W.T. Woodson) sank a shot to give the visitors the one-point edge. Another jumper from Martin sent Bryn Mawr into the locker room with a 26-23 lead.
Bryn Mawr came out firing in the third quarter, going on a 6-2 run to build a 32-27 lead at the 6:30 mark. Junior guard Zahkeyah Allen (Philadelphia, Pa./Freire Charter School) halted the run with a jumper, but the Owls got another quick run to make it 35-29 with 1:54 remaining. Rawson pulled down two free throws over the final 57 seconds, but five points from Martin gave Bryn Mawr the 40-32 edge heading into the final 10 minutes.
Fitzpatrick dropped in a jumper, followed by an Allen free throw make to cut the lead to 44-35, but the Owls continued to respond. With 1:19 to go, Hodges drained a pair of makes at the line to shorten the edge to 10 (50-40), but Bryn Mawr saw Paladugu hit a pair of free throws as well to seal the final margin.
Mount Holyoke returns to the court on Wednesday, traveling to Clark for a 7pm NEWMAC tilt. Bryn Mawr is back in action on Tuesday, hosting Centennial-rival Haverford at 7pm.
