SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (Dec. 13, 2011) – Senior guard Kaleigh Charette recorded 17 points and eight rebounds to lead the Worcester State University basketball team to a 72-49 victory over non-conference foe Mount Holyoke College this evening at the Mildred S. Howard Gymnasium. The Lancers sealed their third win in a row with a 17-4 run in the early stages on the second half.

Mount Holyoke was paced by first year forward Amber Legare, who posted a career-best 14 points to go with seven rebounds, three blocked shots and a pair of steals. Junior guard Angelica Pascual knocked down two shots from beyond the arc en route to 10 points, while sophomore guard Annabel Barrett added nine points. Senior forward Tricia Chase pulled down eight boards, and junior guard Jasmine Brown dished out five assists. The Lyons shot 31.9% (22-69) from the floor.

Worcester State knocked down 45.8% (22-48) of its shots from the field and 92.0% (23-25) of its free throw attempts. The Lancers piled up 16 assists on 22 made baskets and finished with a 43-34 edge on the glass. Junior guard Kara Rogers drained four three-pointers on her way to 16 points, while sophomore guard Meaghan Burns chipped in with 12 points and seven boards.

The guests used a 12-0 run to gain a 19-7 edge midway through the first half. They enjoyed a 29-16 advantage following a pair of free throws by Rogers at the 5:35 mark, but Mount Holyoke clawed its way back into the contest with some full court pressure. The Lyons closed out the half on a 9-2 run to slice the deficit to 31-25. Pascual capped off the rally with a layup and a three-pointer from the corner. She scored eight of her 10 points before the break.

Mount Holyoke continued to roll in the opening minute of the second stanza thanks to back-to-back layups by Legare. Her second cut the lead to 31-29 at the 19:09 mark.

From there, it was all Worcester State. The Lancers rattled off nine straight points and led by as many as 27 on two occasions down the stretch. Rogers sparked their big second half with three treys and 11 points.

Mount Holyoke (1-8, 0-4 NEWMAC) will return to action on Monday, January 2 at Simmons College. The non-conference contest is slated to get underway at 7:00 p.m. Meanwhile, Worcester State (4-4, 0-0 MASCAC) will take part in the Hoop N Surf Tournament in Honolulu, Hawaii next week. After facing off against Spalding University on Sunday at 6:00 p.m., the Lancers will meet up with George Fox University on Tuesday at 9:00 p.m.