Mount Holyoke falls to Anna Maria despite strong fourth-quarter rally

Photo of Alex Twomey '26. Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke Athletics.

By Gia Gu ’26

Staff Writer

Mount Holyoke Basketball faced Anna Maria College on Tuesday, Nov. 26, falling 73-60. Despite a slow start, the Lyons rallied in the fourth quarter, outscoring Anna Maria 26-13 with a shooting percentage of 63.2 during the final period.

Anna Maria established dominance early, outscoring Mount Holyoke 21-11 in the first quarter and extending their lead to a 22 point margin in the second, making the score 44-20 at halftime. The Lyons found their rhythm in the second half, but turnovers and missed opportunities prevented them from closing the gap. However, the Lyons only made 17 turnovers in comparison to Anna Maria’s 19. However, the Lyons also had a 21-14 advantage in points off turnovers. In the fourth quarter, the Lyons narrowed the deficit with a combination of aggressive rebounding and improved shooting. After a timeout was called with only 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Mount Holyoke was able to close the score gap to only 13 points after a layup by Helena Robinson ’28 and a three pointer by Alex Twomey ’26. However, Anna Maria’s substantial early advantage secured them the win. 

Several Lyons delivered notable performances. Twomey and Robinson each scored 15 points, contributing five assists and a steal combined. Cal McGonagle ’25 added 13 points and nine rebounds, while Sofia Francisco ’27 anchored the boards with a game-high 13 rebounds. Francisco is ranked third in the NEWMAC conference for most rebounds per game, averaging at about 9.8, and Robinson is ranked sixth with an 8.8 per game average. The team shot 38.1% overall, with a game-high 63.2% in the fourth quarter.

Mount Holyoke Basketball has one more game before the semester concludes against Lesley University — a team they have met earlier in the season on Nov. 16 — to close out their schedule.

Gemma Golovner ’25 contributed fact-checking.