2017-18 Basketball Year In Review

Photo of the Lyons basketball team in a huddle before the start of a game in 2017-18.

Results | Roster | Statistics | News

Under the direction of 14th year head coach Michelle Scecina and interim head coach Kevin Kudla, the Mount Holyoke team posted a record of 0-24 overall and 0-16 in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play during the 2017-18 season.

The Lyons dove into the season in their home opener against Worcester State University on November 15th as first year Raquel Fitzpatrick shined in her collegiate debut with a team-high 12 points, eight rebounds, and four steals. Veteran guard Leah Hodges also kicked off her junior season with a double-digit performance, notching 10 points and six rebounds.

Three games into the season, the Lyons shouldered a tough loss to Pine Manor College at the Curry Tip-Off Tournament, but junior guard Katlyn Grover registered a career-high 31 points, knocking down four three-pointers. Hodges also came off the bench to score nine points and eight boards in 32 minutes. Grover followed up her performance next game with a near double-double, notching 14 points and nine rebounds against Elms College.

The Lyons began to gain momentum offensively as Grover put together a pair of solid performances, scoring 13 points against Springfield College and 19 against Mount Ida. Fitzpatrick recorded her first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. She was just four assists and four steals away from a quadruple-double, registering six, respectively. In the final game of the first semester against the University of St. Joseph (CT), three different players reached double-digit scoring, while two had double-doubles. Senior Kate Rawson had career-bests in two categories, registering 14 points and 15 rebounds. Fitzpatrick had a near triple-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists, while Hodges came off the bench for 15 points.

As the lineup shifted following Grover's departure for her semester abroad, Hodges smoothly transitioned into a starting role with 12 points and four rebounds against Coast Guard Academy and 11 points against Babson College. First year GraceAnne Woods then registered a team-high 12 points against Emerson College.

As NEWMAC action continued against Wheaton College, Fitzpatrick put up a career-high 20 points, while Hodges had 12 points and three boards. In out-of-conference play against Green Mountain, Hodges knocked down 10 field goals on her way to a career-high 22 points. She continued to complete a five-game streak with double-digit scoring efforts, culminating in an 11-point performance against Clark University. As the season reached its end in February, Fitzpatrick continued to fill the stat sheet with an 11-point, nine rebound performance against Emerson College.

For the season, Grover led the team in scoring with 12.6 points per game in her nine contests, while Hodges was next with 8.2. Fitzpatrick finished her rookie season averaging 7.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game, while Rawson led the team with 6.9 rebounds per game.

Both Grover and Rawson were named to the NEWMAC Academic All-Conference Team, while first year Ireland Clare Kennedy was chosen for the conferences All-Sportsmanship team.