Basketball Prepares For NEWMAC Tournament
SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (Feb. 23, 2010) – The Mount Holyoke College women’s basketball team has qualified for the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament for the second year in a row and 21st time in program history. The seventh seeded Lyons are slated to take on second seeded WPI in the Quarterfinal Round on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in Worcester, Mass.
NEWMAC TOURNAMENT: The NEWMAC Tournament will kick off with four Quarterfinal Round contests on Wednesday, February 24. Semifinal Round matches are slated to take place on Saturday, February 27, and the Championship will be held on Sunday, February 28.
Quarterfinals: Wednesday, February 24 at higher seed's site:
#8 Coast Guard Academy at #1 Babson College - 7:00 p.m.
#7 Mount Holyoke College at #2 WPI - 7:30 p.m.
#6 Wellesley College at #3 Springfield College - 5:30 p.m.
#5 Smith College at #4 Wheaton College - 5:30 p.m.
Semifinals: Saturday, February 27 at highest remaining seed:
Winner #4/Wheaton/#5 Smith vs. Winner #1 Babson/#8 Coast Guard
Winner #3 Springfield/#6 Wellesley vs. Winner #2 WPI/#7 Mount Holyoke
Championship: Sunday, February 28 at Semifinal Site:
Semifinal Winners – 1:00 p.m.
TOURNAMENT HISTORY: Reigning champion Babson College enters the Tournament riding a 14 game winning streak. The Beavers will be looking to match Springfield College and Wheaton College, who have captured five titles apiece of over the league’s first 24 seasons. They earned the top seed by posting a perfect 18-0 mark during league play. Mount Holyoke took home the title in 2006-07, defeating WPI on its home court by a score of 51-46. With the win, the Lyons advanced to the NCAA National Tournament for the first time in program history. WPI claimed the title in 1996, when it handed Clark University an 88-81 setback.
THE MATCHUP: Seventh seeded Mount Holyoke travels to second seeded WPI for a NEWMAC Tournament Quarterfinal Round contest on Wednesday, February 24. The game will take place in Alumni Gymnasium beginning at 7:30 p.m. In 29 previous meetings between the programs, the Engineers own a 17-12 advantage. They swept the season series this year, winning 59-51 at home on January 13 and at Mount Holyoke 56-44 on February 10. WPI has secured five straight victories over the Lyons.
Mount Holyoke owns a 3-2 advantage in five previous meetings against WPI in the NEWMAC Tournament. After falling 62-47 in the 1999 play-in game, they downed the Engineers three straight times. The first came in the 2005 Quarterfinal Round, when they won 64-49. They followed that with a 62-39 triumph in the 2006 Semifinals and a 51-46 win in the 2007 Championship. WPI captured a 52-42 in the Quarterfinal Round last winter.
THE LYONS: Mount Holyoke (8-17, 6-12 NEWMAC) suffered consecutive setbacks to the Coast Guard Academy and Babson College over the final week of the regular season. The Lyons have been paced by guard Angelica Pascual, who has tallied a team best 10.4 points per game to go with 6.2 boards per contest. She has also chipped in with 38 assists and 26 steals. Fellow guard Erin Cain has recorded 10.0 points per game to go with 51 assists, 37 steals and 26 three pointers made. Mount Holyoke has also received solid production from forward Jess Olson, who has posted 7.8 points and a squad high 6.6 rebounds per outing. Meanwhile, forward Tricia Chase and guard Christine Chancy have added 7.1 and 6.5 points per game, respectively. Chase has registered 4.9 boards per outing, while Chancy has dished out a team best 75 assists.
THE ENGINEERS: WPI (17-8, 13-5 NEWMAC) closed out its regular season on a high note, winning its last four games. The Engineers clinched the second seed on Saturday, when they topped Wheaton College 58-44. Forward Elle Fontaine has racked up team highs of 12.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game to lead the way for WPI. Her 31 three pointers made and 18 blocked shots are also good for tops on the squad. Guard Melissa Kuhn has amassed 10.4 points to go with a squad best 67 assists. Meanwhile, backcourt mates Lauren Hannman and Caitlin O’Connor have delivered 9.6 and 8.4 points per game, respectively. Forward Theresa Logan has chipped in with 7.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per contest.
NEXT UP: The winner of this game will face off against the winner of the contest between third seeded Springfield College and sixth seeded Wellesley College on Saturday.