SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- Johnson & Wales University built a 21-point lead after one half and held off the Mount Holyoke College basketball team's comeback bid in the second half, recording a 57-42 non-conference victory Tuesday night in Mildred S. Howard Gymnasium.
The visiting Wildcats (3-5) won their second straight game, getting 14 points from Sarah Wisniewski and 12 points and nine rebounds apiece from both Peyton Oliver and Mikayla Caruso.
First-year guard Libby Harris (Foxborough, Mass.) scored 14 points for the Lyons (1-10), while sophomore guard Cal McGonagle (Yarmouth, Maine) added 10 points.
First-year guard Kendall Maurer (Orinda, Calif.) grabbed a team-high seven boards as Mount Holyoke outrebounded JWU by a 44-41 margin. McGonagle and sophomore captain Marley Berano (Lady Lake, Fla.) grabbed six rebounds apiece, and first-years Alex Twomey (Nutley, N.J.) and Taryn White (Alexandria, Va.) added five boards apiece.
JWU leaped out to a 17-3 lead over the first six minutes of the game, as Mount Holyoke missed seven of its first eight shots and allowed the Wildcats six layups in that span. McGonagle came off the bench and scored the final seven points of the period to close the gap to 17-10, hitting a pair of two-point jumpers and swishing a three at the buzzer.
The Wildcats stopped the Lyons' mini-run and reeled off 13 consecutive points to start the second quarter, seizing a commanding 30-10 lead. Wisniewski, Peyton Ryan, and and Maiyah Johnson all made 3-pointers in the decisive run. Jennell Martin made a fourth three with 32 seconds to go in the half, sending the Wildcats into the break with a 33-12 lead having outscored the Lyons 16-2 in the second quarter.
Mount Holyoke trailed by 24 points with under four minutes remaining in the third quarter, before Harris made back-to-back hoops to cut it to 42-22 with 1:34 to go in the period. Harris missed her chance to finish a three-point play, but White converted a putback. McGonagle grabbed a rebound and fed Maurer for a 3-pointer with 16 seconds left in the third to cut the margin to 42-27, as the Lyons outscored the Wildcats 15-9 in the period.
McGonagle oened the scoring in the fourth period with a three-point play to make it a 12-point game at 42-30. Naheema Walker and Caruso made back-to-back baskets to stave off the run and return the lead to 16. Harris cut the gap to 12 points again, making a pair of free throws with 4:14 to go, before Oliver made consecutive baskets to again make it a 16-point game (52-36) with 2:26 remaining.
Mount Holyoke returns to action Dec. 29-30 at the Puerto Rico Clasico tournament. The Lyons will face Adrian on Dec. 29 and Sage on Dec. 30 (EDIT: the Lyons' opponent on Dec. 30 has been changed to SUNY Geneseo).
