THE MATCHUP: Mount Holyoke looks to complete the season sweep of the Coast Guard Academy tomorrow afternoon (1:00 p.m.) at the Mildred S. Howard Gymnasium. The Lyons raced to a 63-51 triumph over their NEWMAC counterparts on January 14 thanks to an outstanding offensive performance from Angelica Pascual. The guard poured in a season-best 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the floor, as Mount Holyoke overcame an early 19-7 deficit. Guard Brittney Zimmerman recorded 18 points to set the tone for the Bears. The two teams have split the season series three years in a row.
PLAY 4KAY: Mount Holyoke has partnered with the WBCA to raise awareness in the fight against breast cancer through the Play 4Kay initiative. Play 4Kay is a global, unified effort for the WBCA nation of coaches to assist in raising breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond. Since its inception in 2006, the program has raised over $1.5 million for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Members of the Mount Holyoke team will be sporting pink shooting shirts and shoelaces to show their support. In addition, proceeds from admissions fees to the contest will be donated to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Fans are encouraged to wear pink and contribute to research initiatives. Click here to find out more.
THE LYONS: Mount Holyoke (4-17, 2-13 NEWMAC) has picked up wins over Western New England University, Simmons College, the Coast Guard Academy and MIT thus far this season. The Lyons have been paced by guard Angelica Pascual, who has drained 30 shots from beyond the arc en route to 12.1 points per game. She has also chipped in with 38 assists and 26 steals. Newcomer Amber Legare has made an immediate impact in the paint, recording 8.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per outing to go with 31 blocked shots. Meanwhile, guards Annabel Barrett and Christine Chancy have added 8.5 and 7.8 points per game, respectively. Fellow guard Jasmine Brown has set the tone for Mount Holyoke's offensive attack with 54 assists.
THE BEARS: Coast Guard (5-15, 1-14 NEWMAC) has dropped 10 straight contests after edging WPI 55-54 on January 7. The Bears have received outstanding all-around production from guard Kaitlin Ward, who has amassed 11.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game to go with 47 steals and 42 assists. Fellow guard Brittney Zimmerman has knocked down 30 three-pointers en route to a points per game average of 10.7. Meanwhile, forward Jamie Waterman has posted 6.8 points and 6.4 boards per outing. As a team, Coast Guard has piled up 235 assists. Nearly half of those have come from Zimmerman (57) and Alexi Howland (50). Forward Dani Knox has chipped in with 6.7 points per game for the Bears, who opened the season with four consecutive victories.
NEXT UP: Mount Holyoke is slated to host Springfield College on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Meanwhile, Coast Guard will visit the Merchant Marine Academy on Monday at 7:00 p.m.
