Mount Holyoke Celebrates Senior Day With Dramatic Victory Over Wheaton

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SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (Feb. 18, 2012) – The Mount Holyoke College basketball team celebrated senior day with a dramatic 66-62 triumph over NEWMAC foe Wheaton College this afternoon at the Mildred S. Howard Gymnasium. Trailing 59-55 with just over three minutes remaining in regulation, the Lyons reeled off nine straight points at never looked back. It was their third win in a row and fourth in their final five outings.

First year forward Amber Legare was nearly unstoppable in the paint for the hosts, piling up a game-best 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the floor. The rookie made all seven of her free throws and also chipped in with four rebounds and a pair of steals.

Legare was joined in double digits by junior guard Angelica Pascual, who knocked down three shots from beyond the arc en route to 17 points. Senior guard Christine Chancy finished with 10 points, eight boards and three assists. Meanwhile, junior Jasmine Brown dished out five assists.

As a team, the Lyons knocked down 43.4% (23-53) of their shots from the field and 92.9% (13-14) of their free throws. They were also effective from long range, netting seven three-pointers. Chancy and sophomore guard Annabel Barrett accounted for two apiece.

Three players reached double figures in the scoring column for Wheaton (9-16, 7-11 NEWMAC), which saw its NEWMAC Tournament aspirations come to and end. First year Guard Kenzie Kuhn set the tone with 16 points, eight assists and three steals. Meanwhile, first year forward Abbie Brickley and sophomore guard Melissa McLaughlin chipped in with 12 points apiece. The guests shot 46.9% (23-49) from the floor and 81.8% (9-11) of their free throws. They finished with a 30-27 advantage on the glass.

After falling behind 16-11 in the early going, Mount Holyoke exploded for a 17-2 run to gain control of the contest. Pascual sparked the rally with nine points on a three-pointer, a long jumper and a layup. The Lyons enjoyed a 28-18 cushion following a driving layup by Brown at the 5:25 mark and took a 32-27 edge into the locker room. Legare led all scorers at the break.

A short jumper by Chase put Mount Holyoke in front 45-40 at the 12:22 mark of the second stanza, but Wheaton responded with ten straight points to regain the upper hand. Junior guard Gabby Barbera got the run started with back-to-back three-pointers to put the guests in front. They led 59-55 following a jumper by McLaughlin with 3:22 remaining in regulation.

From there, it was all Mount Holyoke. Barrett cut the deficit in half with a driving layup, and Chancy gave the Lyons a 60-59 lead with a three-pointer from the right side. The hosted proceeded to ice the game with a 6-for-6 performance from the charity stripe in the waning minutes.

Prior to the contest a senior day celebration took place to honor Chancy and Tricia Chase for their contributions to the Mount Holyoke program over the past four years. Chase went on to post seven points and four rebounds.

The Lyons closed out their 2011-12 campaign with an overall record of 7-17 and a league mark of 5-13.