THE MATCHUP: Mount Holyoke hosts NEWMAC foe Clark University this evening (7:00 p.m.) at the Mildred S. Howard Gymnasium. The Lyons have come out on top in each of the previous four meetings between the programs. Two of those wins came last season. Mount Holyoke overcame a 14-point halftime deficit to win 60-57 in the first contest. The Lyons were paced by guard Christine Chancy, who scored all 13 of her points after the break. Forward Megan Grondin led Clark with 17 points. Two months later, Mount Holyoke completed the season sweep with a thrilling 59-57 triumph at home. Chancy drained a long jumper at the buzzer to seal things for the Lyons. Fellow guard Angelica Pascual finished with a game-best 27 points. Guard Emily Reilly paced the Cougars with 17 points. Game Program
THE LYONS: Mount Holyoke (1-5, 0-2 NEWMAC) has stumbled out of the gate, dropping five of its first six 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 Christine Chancy (9.4), Annabel Barrett (9.3) and Angelica Pascual (8.6) have shouldered the scoring load in the early going while also combining for 22 assists. Mount Holyoke has also received solid production from rookie forwards Amber Legare and Nicole DeMarchena. Legare has posted 6.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, while DeMarchena has chipped in with 4.8 points and a team-best 8.3 boards per outing. DeMarchena's nine blocks are good for tops on the squad.
THE COUGARS: Clark (4-2, 2-0 NEWMAC) has rolled to four straight victories after dropping its first two games of the season. In addition to their non-conference wins over Endicott College (57-47) and Simmons College (71-44), the Cougars have also defeated NEWMAC rivals Springfield College (63-57) and the Coast Guard Academy (65-64) during their streak. Guard Ashleigh Condon has tallied 12.3 points per game and 19 assists to lead the way. Clark has also received a boost from forward Kate Minister, who has posted 11.0 points and 5.7 rebounds to go with 11 assists and six blocked shots. Guard Emily Reilly and forward Megan Grondin have chipped in with 11.2 and 11.0 points per game, respectively. Meanwhile, forward Kelsey Giedymin has pulled down a team-best 6.5 boards per outing.
NEXT UP: Both squads will resume their NEWMAC schedules this weekend. Mount Holyoke will visit MIT on Saturday at 2:00 p.m., while Clark will host Wellesley College on Friday at 6:00 p.m.
