THE MATCHUP: Mount Holyoke faces off against nationally-ranked Babson College Saturday afternoon (1:00 p.m.) at the Mildred S. Howard Gymnasium. The Lyons have fallen in six straight contests against the Beavers after picking up a thrilling 73-71 double overtime victory in the semifinals of the 2007 NEWMAC Tournament. Babson swept the season series last winter, winning by scores of 76-33 and 95-51. The Beavers have rolled to 46 straight victories over conference foes. They have captured three straight NEWMAC titles. Game Program

THE LYONS: Mount Holyoke (1-4, 0-1 NEWMAC) has stumbled out of the gate, dropping four of its first five games of the season. The Lyons topped Western New England University 66-53 in the consolation game of the Golden Bears Hoops Classic two weeks ago. Guards Angelica Pascual (10.0), Annabel Barrett (9.6) and Christine Chancy (9.4) have shouldered the scoring load  in the early going while also combining for 19 assists. Mount Holyoke has also received solid production from rookie forwards Amber Legare and Nicole DeMarchena. Legare has posted 7.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, while DeMarchena has chipped in with 5.6 points and a team-best 9.4 boards per outing. DeMarchena's nine blocks are good for tops on the squad.

THE BEAVERS: Babson (4-1, 1-0 NEWMAC) has exploded out of the gate, outscoring its opponents by 21 points per game. The Beavers have defeated Salem State University (94-45), Brandeis University (64-35) and WPI (84-42) thus far this season. Forwards Nicki Wurdeman and Kathleen King have set the tone with their outstanding play in the post. Wurdeman has recorded 18.4 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, while King has averaged a double-double on 18.2 points and 10.2 boards per outing. Center Sarah Collins has also been a force in the paint, tallying 13.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per contest. Her 14 blocked shots lead the team. The three players have also combined for 36 assists. 

NEXT UP: Both squads will resume their NEWMAC schedules on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. Mount Holyoke is slated to host Clark University, while Babson will visit Wellesley College.