CHICOPEE, Mass. -- The Mount Holyoke College basketball team gave its most consistent effort and played perhaps its best game of the season Tuesday night at Elms College, ultimately falling 76-58 against the 4-2 Blazers in a non-conference matchup.
First-year Emma Goff (Cohasset, Mass.) scored 12 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in Mount Holyoke's first double-double of the season. Sophomore Kendall Maurer (Orinda, Calif.) added 11 points to go with five steals, three assists and three rebounds. Junior Katie Rha (Douglaston, N.Y.) had a game-high seven assists and senior Teal Howle (Florence, S.C.) contributed seven points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Lyons (0-6).
Rahmia Johnston led Elms with 15 points and five assists, with Jade Lewis adding 12 points and five assists. Brianna Metellus had six of Elms' 22 steals, helping Elms to a 36-16 advantage in turnovers committed.
Mount Holyoke shot a season-best .436 (24-55) from the field and dominated the Blazers on the boards, 44-28. First-year Jamieson Dean (Clinton Township, Mich.) and sophomore Taryn White (Alexandria, Va.) combined for 14 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for the Lyons.
Goff and senior Nicole Lutalo (Kampala, Uganda) combined to shot 5-for-5 from the floor while Rha dished out four assists in the first quarter, helping the Lyons take a 13-10 lead at the end of one period.
Elms stayed close and took its first lead at 19-18 on a 3-pointer by Johnston halfway through the second quarter. A three-point play by Soliyana Asfaw, followed by a Sophia Andrade steal and dish to Lewis for a layup, made it 23-18 in the hosts' favor. But Mount Holyoke responded with a layup by Goff and a 3-pointer by sophomore Libby Harris (Foxborough, Mass.) to tie the game back up at 23-23. The Blazers outscored the Lyons 8-4 over the last two minutes of the half to take a 31-27 lead into halftime.
Elms held Mount Holyoke scoreless over the first four-plus minutes of the third quarter in a 14-0 run, giving the Blazers a 45-27 lead that proved to be decisive. A three by Maurer with 58 seconds to go closed the gap to 13 points, but Elms took a 56-41 lead into the final quarter.
Mount Holyoke couldn't get closer than within 12 points the rest of the way despite its highest-scoring quarter, with 17 points.
The Lyons will play host to Fitchburg State on Thursday at 6pm.
