North Adams, Mass. - December 4, 2021 - Behind a double double performance from Annika Brooks (Portland, Maine), the Mount Holyoke College basketball team defeated MCLA, 46-35, at the Amsler Campus Community Center on Saturday afternoon.
The Lyons improve to 2-2 with the win, and are now off to their best start since the 2016-17 season when Mount Holyoke College also started the season with an overall record of 2-2. The Trailblazers fell to 0-8 with the loss.
Mount Holyoke College was 16-for-57 (28.1%) from the field in the victory, while the Lyons also dominated the glass, picking up 50 rebounds compared to MCLA's 36.
Brooks led the way with 17 points and 11 rebounds while Cal McGonagle (Yarmouth, Maine) chipped in nine points to go along with nine rebounds, four assists and two steals. Senior Mikayla McEwen (South Hadley, Mass) posted a team-best 14 rebounds in the contest.
MCLA was led by 12 points from Emily Burke, while Hannah Mazzeo finished with a game-high 19 rebounds in the setback.
MCLA raced out to an early 6-2 lead in the first quarter before baskets from McGonagle and Kelly Lynch (Quincy, Mass.) evened the score at six. From there, the hosts would end the frame with six unanswered points to possess a 12-6 lead after 10 minutes of play.
A three-pointer from McEwen and a jumper from Marley Berano (Lady Lake, Fla.) pulled the Lyons back to within one, before Isabel Cordes (Yorktown, Va.) connected from deep to give Mount Holyoke a 14-12 lead with 5:21 to play in the first half. Brooks would then convert a three-point play with less than a minute on the clock to give the Lyons a 19-14 advantage before the senior made another lay-up with four seconds remaining to send the visitors into the locker room leading 21-14.
Despite a three-pointer from McGonagle in the early stages of the second half, MCLA went on a run to take a 25-24 lead following a triple from Burke. Mount Holyoke wrestled back the lead and took a 31-28 advantage into the fourth quarter after a couple of free throws with 35 seconds on the clock in the third.
Berano drilled a three just 1:36 into the fourth quarter that gave Mount Holyoke a four-point lead before McGonagle and Brooks helped push the lead to eight, leading 38-30 with 7:22 to play. Brooks was dominant late and sealed the game with a pair of free throws to make it 46-34 with 17 seconds remaining.
The Lyons will now travel to Rivier College on Tuesday, December 7 for a 7 p.m. contest with the Raiders.
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