MEDFORD, Mass. -- The Mount Holyoke College basketball team scored a season high in points and set a season low in turnovers, but Lesley University held off the Lyons for a 64-52 non-conference win Wednesday night at Medford High School.
Sophomore Cal McGonagle (Yarmouth, Maine) set a career high and led all players with 23 points, making 9-of-15 shots from the field and 5-8 from three. First-year Alex Twomey (Nutley, N.J.) added 10 points and 12 rebounds to Mount Holyoke's cause.
The Lyons (1-5) committed just 10 turnovers in the game to Lesley's 16, while the host Lynx (3-4) outrebounded the visitors 43-33. Lesley made 15-of-26 shots from the free-throw line, while Mount Holyoke made 4-6 from the line.
Sophia Torres led the Lynx with 17 points, to go with six rebounds, four assists and four steals. Annike Herbert added 14 points and nine rebounds, while Alexandra Kerley posted 12 points and 14 rebounds. Savannah Stowers contributed 13 more points and seven rebounds from off the bench.
Mount Holyoke shot 21-70 (.300) from the field in the game, including 3-18 (.167) in the first quarter as the Lyons fell behind 12-2 and finished the period with a 14-7 deficit.
A 9-2 Mount Holyoke run to start the second quarter, featuring five points by McGonagle, evened the score at 16-16. After buckets scored by Twomey and junior Teal Howle (Florence, S.C.), McGonagle hit a jumper for a 22-20 Lyons lead with 4:08 to go in the half. But Lesley finished the quarter with an 11-2 run for a 31-24 lead at the break.
The Lynx also held a seven-point advantage late in the third quarter, before Mount Holyoke sophomore Marley Berano (Lady Lake, Fla.) beat the period-ending buzzer with a 3-pointer to make it a four-point game at 44-40.
Mount Holyoke outscored Lesley 16-13 in the third quarter, but the hosts pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Lyons 20-12 over the final 10 minutes.
An offensive putback by first-year Amelia Knaysi (Grand Junction, Colo.) drew the Lyons within four points for a final time with 6:55 left in the game, before back-to-back hoops by Torres gave Lesley an eight-point cushion (52-44) with 5:45 left. Mount Holyoke couldn't get any closer the rest of the way, in spite of a three by McGonagle with 1:45 left.
Mount Holyoke next plays at New England College this Saturday at 1pm.
