Engineers defeat Lyons by 15 points
Framingham State game tonight
Despite a second-half run that brought Mount Holyoke College within 10 points with just six minutes left to play, the MIT women’s basketball team held on for a 47-32 NEWMAC victory on Saturday afternoon. Playing all 40 minutes, Mari R. Kordell ’15 compiled 15 points, five rebounds, four assists, and four steals for the Engineers (4-3, 3-2 NEWMAC). Amber Legare led the Lyons (2-4, 1-4 NEWMAC) with a game-high 16 points to go along with seven rebounds and two steals.
A three-point play by Sabrina M. Drammis ’16 gave MIT a 7-3 lead after five minutes expired. Mount Holyoke responded with a Legare layup and a three-pointer from Kate Karraker to claim the one-point edge. Midway through the frame, jumpers by Drammis and Kordell put the hosts in front, 11-8; however, Legare’s layup on the Lyons’ next trip down the court kept them within striking distance. On MIT’s ensuing possession, a put-back by Drammis at the 8:30 mark sparked a 16-2 run that resulted in a 27-12 advantage at the intermission.
The Engineers continued to cruise in the second half as their margin grew to 21 (36-15) courtesy of Kordell’s fast-break layup following five minutes of action. Mount Holyoke slowly mounted a 16-5 run that narrowed the gap to 10 (41-31) on Nicole DeMarchena’s layup with 6:24 remaining. During the stretch, Legare registered six points while the Lyons converted all eight of their free-throw attempts after going 1-of-7 from the charity stripe in the first half. Maya K. Ramachandran ’16 helped thwart the comeback bid as she went 4-for-4 at the free-throw line on back-to-back MIT possessions as Drammis added a basket with 1:42 on the clock.
Drammis finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, and two assists while Ramachandran recorded 11 points and nine boards. Rachel A. Hunt ’13 chipped in nine rebounds and three steals as Michelle Battipaglia ’15 contributed five boards and two steals.
Karraker racked up seven points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals for Mount Holyoke. DeMarchena notched a team-high eight rebounds in addition to two steals as Kathleen O’Connor ’14 rounded out the squad with five boards.
Next up for MIT will be a home game tonight, Dec. 10 against Framingham State University. Mount Holyoke returns to action on Dec. 29 at the two-day San Juan Tournament in Puerto Rico.