SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – A balanced performance along with two key runs in the second half helped propel the MIT women's basketball team to a 65-52 win over Mount Holyoke College in a NEWMAC game on Friday night. Senior Lauren Sascha Burton (Seattle, Wash.) paced the Engineers (4-4, 2-2 NEWMAC) with 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor, including a 3-of-5 performance from behind the arc and a 2-for-4 outing at the charity stripe.

Freshman Sabrina Drammis (Hilton Head Island, S.C.) tallied 14 points, nine rebounds, four steals, and three assists in 20 minutes of action while junior Tamara Pena (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) also had 14 points for MIT. Sophomore Michelle Battipaglia (Katonah, N.Y.) produced seven points and four rebounds while freshman Maya Ramachandran (Fremont, Calif.) totaled eight rebounds and three blocks.

The early stages were a back-and-forth affair until Mount Holyoke went on an 11-1 run to go up, 16-7, at the 11:43 mark. The Engineers replied with a 14-5 run, including a stretch of seven straight points, to even the score at 21 with 5:44 left in the half. The Lyons built a four-point cushion which was quickly erased by Battipaglia's jumper and a trey from Pena. Mount Holyoke converted two free throws to reclaim the lead but Ramachandran and Drammis both sank layups to put MIT in front, 30-27. The Lyons then provided the final basket of the frame with 15 seconds to go.

The tight play continued in the second stanza as a pair of free throws gave the hosts a 33-32 edge after 1:30 elapsed. Drammis's jumper on MIT's next possession put it ahead for good and sparked a 10-2 run that spanned five minutes. Mount Holyoke continued to attack as it narrowed the gap to two on four occasions, the last at 51-49 with 7:30 remaining. The Engineers countered with their game-ending 14-3 run which featured seven points from Burton while Pena chipped in four and Drammis contributed three.

MIT returns to action on Saturday, Dec. 29 when it hosts non-conference foe Gordon College.