SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (Jan. 11, 2012) – Led by junior Theresa Logan, the WPI basketball team picked up a thrilling 63-59 overtime victory over NEWMAC foe Mount Holyoke College this evening at the Mildred S. Howard Gymnasium. The forward racked up 18 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots for the Engineers, who snapped a five-game slide.

WPI seemingly had the game wrapped up before Mount Holyoke exploded for a 12-2 run over the final three minutes of regulation to force overtime. Senior guard Christine Chancy capped off the furious rally in dramatic fashion, draining a long jumper from the right side at the buzzer.

The Engineers rebounded in the extra session, outscoring Mount Holyoke 9-5 to seal things. They broke a 56-56 deadlock with six consecutive points over a span of 2:10 down the stretch. Logan keyed the run with a pair of free throws and a jumper from the top of the key.

Four players reached double digits in the scoring column for the Lyons, who converted 39.0% (23-59) of their shots from the field and all nine of their free throws. Junior guard Angelica Pascual drained three shots from beyond the arc to set the tone for the hosts. The guard finished with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the floor.

First year forward Amber Legare registered 11 points, while Chancy and classmate Tricia Chase added 10 each. Legare and Chase pulled down seven boards apiece for Mount Holyoke, which finished with a 35-32 edge on the glass. As a team, the Lyons piled up 15 assists on 23 made baskets. Junior guard Jasmine Brown  led the way with five helpers.

Logan was joined in double figures by senior guard Lauren Hannmann, who recorded 19 points and eight rebounds for WPI. Sophomore forward Siena Mamayek came off the bench to score six points. Meanwhile, senior guard Baillie McNally collected four assists and three steals. The Engineers made 48.1% (25-52) of their shots from the floor.

Neither side led by more than seven points in a first half that featured five ties and five lead changes. A conventional three-point play by Legare put Mount Holyoke in front 17-11 just over seven minutes into the contest. The Lyons led 23-16 following a layup by first year forward Nicole DeMarchena at the 7:28 before WPI erupted for a nine straight points to regain the lead.

Back-to-back baskets by Chase and junior guard Stephanie Pascual gave the hosts a 27-25 edge at the break. Chase led Mount Holyoke with six points in the opening frame. At the other end, Hannmann was nearly unstoppable for WPI, knocking down three shots from behind the arc en route to 17 points.

The Engineers grabbed the upper hand with a 12-4 run over a six minute span late in the second half. They enjoyed a 52-42 advantage following a layup by sophomore guard Kelly Morgan at the 3:15 mark.

Refusing to go away, Mount Holyoke responded with 10 unanswered points to tie things up at 52-52. After Logan netted a pair of free throws to put WPI back in front with five seconds remaining in regulation, the Lyons raced up the court and called a timeout. Chancy then took a handoff from Chase, took two steps to her right and buried a jumper as time expired. Six of her 10 points came over the final three minutes of regulation.

Both squads will resume their NEWMAC schedules on Saturday. Mount Holyoke (2-11, 0-7 NEWMAC) is slated to visit the Coast Guard Academy at 1:00 p.m. Meanwhile, WPI (4-10, 2-5 NEWMAC) will entertain Wellesley College at 3:00 p.m.

Photos by Leila Quinn '12