BOSTON, Mass. (Jan. 2, 2012) – Junior guard Angelica Pascual racked up 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the floor to lead the Mount Holyoke College basketball team to a convincing 55-33 triumph over Simmons College this evening at the Holmes Sports Center. The Lyons closed out the first half on a 22-5 run to gain control and never looked back. It was their first outing since December 13.

Pascual was joined in double digits by sophomore guard Annabel Barrett, who netted 10 points to go with five rebounds. First years Amber Legare, Kate Karraker and Nicole DeMarchena added five points apiece. Meanwhile, senior forward Tricia Chase pulled down a game-best 11 rebounds for the Mount Holyoke, which finished with an overwhelming 41-23 edge on the glass. As a team, the Lyons knocked down 43.8% (21-48) of its shots from the floor.

Junior forward Liz O'Connor recorded 10 points and seven boards to set the tone for Simmons (1-8, 0-0 GNAC). Senior forward Alex Acloque tallied six points, while sophomore guard Hannah May chipped in with five. The Sharks were limited to 20.4% (11-54) shooting from the field in their fourth consecutive loss.

After falling behind 9-4 in the early going, Mount Holyoke exploded for 12 straight points over a span of five minutes to take charge. The Lyons enjoyed a 16-9 advantage following a jumper by Pascual at the 9:26 mark. They took a 32-14 lead into the locker room and led by as many as 30 points in the second half. A total of nine players scored points for the guests, who snapped a six-game slide.

The Lyons (2-8, 0-4 NEWMAC) will resume its NEWMAC schedule at Wellesley College on Wednesday. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 p.m.