Chicopee, Mass. - February 14, 2022 - Despite a career-best 15 points from Cal McGonagle (Yarmouth, Maine) and a double double from Annika Brooks (Portland, Maine), the Mount Holyoke College basketball team fell to Elms College in a close battle, 71-59, on Monday evening.
The Lyons now have a record of 2-14 while the Blazers improve to 11-8 for the season.
McGonagle led the Lyons with 15 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, while Brooks followed with a double double performance of 11 points and a season-best 17 rebounds.
Leading Elms was Angelica Peguero-Flores who netted 26 points and nine rebounds, while Sarah Evangelista posted 18 points and five assists.
Elms started off the game with a layup from McKenzie Huria in 0:46 of play. Mount Holyoke responded as McGonagle notched a three-pointer to get the Lyons on the board. Elms notched the next two layups until McGonagle made a layup in 4:07 of play. The teams traded possession with back-and-forth play until first-year Marley Berano (Lady Lake, Fla.) posted a three-point jump shot with 0:40 remaining on the clock. Elms responded with a layup from Peguero-Flores with 0:17 to play until the clock expired leaving the Blazers in the lead 19-12.
Starting the second quarter, Elms began with a 8-0 run. First-year Katherine Rha (Douglaston, N.Y.) responded with a successful jump shot in 4:15 of play. The Lyons continued to hold off the Blazers as Brooks netted two free throws. Elms regained control with a layup from Peguero-Flores, followed by a layup from Johnston. Sophomore Emily Mock (Bangor, Maine) finished off the quarter notching a layup and a free throw from a shooting foul with 0:20 remaining on the clock until the period ended leaving Elms with a ten-point lead 33-23.
Mock started off the second half strong for Mount Holyoke as the sophomore notched a three-pointer 17 seconds into play, assisted by Brooks. Elms followed with a 7-0 run until Brooks posted a layup in 4:37 of play. The Blazers responded with a three-pointer from Evangelista, followed by back-to-back steals leaving Mount Holyoke in possession of the ball. The two teams continued to battle in back-and-forth play until Brooks notched a layup with 1:14 remaining. Both teams remainded scoreless until the period expired ending the third quarter with Elms in the lead 47-38.
Sophomore Isabel Cordes (Yorktown, Va.) started off the final period with a layup followed by a free throw as a result of a shooting foul in 20 seconds of play. Elms followed with two successful layups from Peguero-Flores in 0:36 of play. McGonagle passed the ball to Cordes who posted a jump shot in 2:52 into the final quarter. Cordes followed with another successful free throw until Peguero-Flores posted a layup. The two teams continued to trade possession of the ball in back-and-forth play until Berano notched a three-pointer with 1:28 remaining on the clock. Rha finished off the quarter netting a free throw with one second remaining on the clock ending the game with Elms taking the win 71-59.
Up next, Mount Holyoke will travel to Norton, Mass. to face off (New England Men's and Women's Athletic Conference) competitor Wheaton College on Wednesday, February 16. The game is set to begin at 7 p.m.
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