Photo by Casey Pan ’18
With the Lyons on defense, guard Ireland Kennedy ’21 picks up ball and plays defense on MIT’s Maude Gull.
BY LEXI LOBDELL ’20
On Saturday, Dec. 2, the Lyons hosted the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) basket ball team, the Engineers. Despite their best efforts, Mount Holyoke’s young roster couldn’t keep up with MIT’s experienced players, and fell 63 to 24.
The Engineers jumpstarted the game with a 4-0 run when Ireland Clare Kennedy ’21 nailed a jumper off a pass from Leah Hodges ’19 to close the gap; MIT then answered with a 7-0 run. Raquel Fitzpatrick ’21 took advantage of a foul, and added one free throw to give the Lyons some momentum. Kate Rawson ’18, new to the Mount Holyoke roster, finished the quarter by knocking down a mid-range jump shot, marking her first points of the season, and bringing the score to 15-7.
MIT opened the second quarter with two consecutive points going up 19-7. Fitzpatrick swished in two more free throws to keep the Lyons in single-digit deficit. The Engineers retaliated with a 7-0 run, followed by three Mount Holyoke free throws. With less than three minutes in the half, MIT went on a 8-0 run, solidifying their lead 37-13 to end the first half.
The Engineer’s defense picked up in the third quarter, preventing the Lyons from scoring. Mount Holyoke trailed 49-13 going into the final quarter. Katlyn Grover ’20 opened the fourth quarter swishing in three free throws after being fouled beyond the arc. Grover added a jump shot assisted by Hodges for a score of 56-18. Despite the final push from Mount Holyoke, MIT retained ball possession to run the clock out for the win: 63-24.
Former Lyon of the Week after her career high 31 points last week, Grover recapped the Lyon’s performance this game. “MIT definitely put our team defense to the test on Saturday. Despite the loss, our team made a huge step forward with on-court communication and I’m excited to see where we will go from here,” said Grover.
The Lyon’s go up against Mount Ida on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 1 p.m.