BOSTON -- The Mount Holyoke College basketball team played host Wentworth Institute evenly over the final three quarters of the game but couldn't overcome the deficit created early in the game, as the Leopards took a 22-9 lead after one quarter on the way to a 65-49 non-conference victory.
First-year guard Hannah Goen (New London, N.H.) continued her strong recent play, leading the Lyons with 12 points and five assists, both season highs. Goen played a season-high 35 minutes and was effective at getting to the free throw line, where she made 6-of-8 attempts. Sophomore Kendall Maurer (Orinda, Calif.) contributed eight points and six rebounds and first-year Emma Goff (Cohasset, Mass.) added seven points and five rebounds, both from off the bench.
Wentworth got out to a hot start, shooting 8-15 from the floor including 3-7 from three-point territory in building a double-digit lead in the first quarter. Maddy Foster scored seven of her 11 points in the quarter, while Brianna Carroll had a pair of threes and Reagan Madonia added five of her seven points in the game.
The Lyons (2-12) fought the Leopards (3-7) toe-to-toe after the first quarter, but Wentworth stubbornly held on to the lead it had built.
Mount Holyoke fought through the second quarter to reduce the deficit from 13 to 10 (32-22) at halftime on a putback by Goen. Mount Holyoke reduced Wentworth's lead to single digits on three trips down the floor early in the third quarter, with a jump shot by sophomore Libby Harris (Foxborough, Mass.), a layup by Goff, and a pair of foul shots by Goen. Tita Rana scored four straight points for Wentworth, Carroll made a three and Gabby Amoddio sank a pair of free throws to open the lead back up to 17 (47-30). Goen scored five points and senior Teal Howle (Florence, S.C.) made a layup over the final 2:33 of the third period to cut the gap to 13 (50-37) entering the final period.
A 3-pointer by Carroll with 6:22 to go in the fourth quarter, followed by a three-point play executed by Rana at the 4:30 mark, returned Wentworth's lead to 17 with 4:30 left in the game, as time began to run out on the Lyons.
Carroll finished with a game-high 17 points including four 3-pointers, to go with seven rebounds. Amoddio paced the Leopards with an all-around performance including 12 ponits, six rebounds, six assists, four steals and two blocks.
Mount Holyoke enters conferece play with NEWMAC opponents for the remainder of its schedule. The Lyons open NEWMAC play Saturday at 1pm at Salve Regina University.
