Basketball Drops Wellesley in Overtime, 61-57

Game Statistics???

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (Dec. 5, 2009) – Sophomore guard Christine Chancy exploded for 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists to boost the Mount Holyoke College women’s basketball team to a thrilling 61-57 overtime triumph over Wellesley College this afternoon at the Mildred Howard Gymnasium. It was the Lyons first New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) victory of the 2009-10 campaign.

Chancy paced the hosts throughout, shooting 5-of-7 from the field and a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. The guard went 7-of-10 from the charity stripe. Seven of her career best 20 points came in the extra session.

As a team, Mount Holyoke shot 52.5% (21-40) from the field and 75.0% (15-20) from the free throw line. It finished with a 32-22 edge on the glass. In addition to Chancy three other Lyons reached double digits in the scoring column. Sophomore forward Tricia Chase posted 12 points, while first year guard Angelica Pascual and senior forward Jess Olson added 11 and 10, respectively. Olson also gathered nine boards.

Leading the way for Wellesley was sophomore Robyn Burleson, who came off the bench to pour in 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field. The forward drained five three pointers. Senior guard Katie Martore recorded 16 points and five assists, while sophomore center KD Stearns chipped in with 10 points and five rebounds. The Blue converted 40.7% (22-54) of their attempts from the floor and forced the Lyons into 26 turnovers.

Mount Holyoke sizzled out of the gate, making eight of its first 10 shots to build a 19-10 advantage midway through the opening frame. Chancy drilled a pair of treys to fuel the rally. The Lyons led 25-17 following a short jumper by Chase at the 2:56 mark. Burleson then drained back-to-back three pointers to trim the margin to 25-23 at the break. Chase and Martore each tallied eight points for their respective sides before the intermission.

The Lyons stretched their cushion to 38-27 over the first 10 minutes of the second stanza and enjoyed a 46-36 lead after a Chase layup at the 4:26 mark. From there, Wellesley used the three ball to claw its way back into the contest. Burleson knocked down three treys over the final four minutes of regulation, as the Blue erupted for a 13-3 run. Her third came with 25 seconds on the clock and sent things to overtime.

Wellesley scored the first four points of the extra session and led 55-51 at the 3:07 mark. Pascual converted a pair of free throws to cut the margin to a pair, and Chancy netted a three pointer to put Mount Holyoke in front 56-55 with just under two minutes to go. The Lyons then pulled away with a pair of free throws and a layin by Chancy on their next two possessions.

Both squads are slated to resume their NEWMAC schedules on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Mount Holyoke (3-3, 1-1 NEWMAC) will visit local rival Smith College, while Wellesley (2-5, 0-2 NEWMAC) will travel to the Coast Guard Academy.