SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- The Mount Holyoke College played visiting Anna Maria College evenly in all but one quarter on Saturday, as an 18-9 scoring difference for the Amcats in the second quarter fueled a 63-51 non-conference victory in Mildred S. Howard Gymnasium.
Arianna Gonzalez spearheaded an opportunistic Anna Maria pressure defense, making half of the Amcats' 22 steals in the game, one less than the team record. Mount Holyoke committed a season-high 36 turnovers to Anna Maria's 21, helping Anna Maria to a +13 advantage in shots attempted in spite of the Lyons' 47-32 rebounding advantage.
Tiffany Salazar scored a team-high 13 points to go with four assists for Anna Maria (2-4), while Gonzalez and Taylar Hodge scored 10 points apiece. Hodge shot 4-4 overall and 2-2 from three-point territory.
Mount Holyoke junior Hannah Goen (New London, N.H.) scored a game- and season-high 15 points and made five steals, while senior Alex Twomey (Nutley, N.J.) had 12 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
Junior Sofia Francisco (Boston, Mass.) had a game-high 11 rebounds and blocked two shots, while senior Taryn White (Alexandria, Va.) contributed six points and seven rebounds.
Mount Holyoke led by as much as seven points after a Twomey three midway through the first quarter. Anna Maria regained the lead and the quarter ended with a 15-15 tie.
Anna Maria took the lead for good with 8:07 left in the second quarter, as Meaghan Doyle drained three free throws after a Lyons shooting foul.
Mount Holyoke was within three with 2:49 left in the half when a steal by Gonzalez led to a Mae McGowan layup, and the Amcats finished the half with an 8-2 run for a 33-24 halftime lead.
The Amcats built their lead to as many as 17 (45-28), and back-to-back layups by Goen helped the Lyons climb back within 11 after three quarters.
The Lyons cut the Amcats' lead down to seven as a Goen jumper made it 51-44, and a layup by White assisted by junior Melina Pena (Miami, Fla.) made it 53-46 with 5:27 remaining in the game.
Arianna Saladin converted a three-point play on Anna Maria's next possession to return the Amcats' lead to double digits.
After a pair of free throws by Francisco made it 58-48, the Lyons were held scoreless in their comeback bid until a three by junior Emma Zoubok (Somers, N.Y.) with 9 seconds remaining finalized the scoring at 63-51.
Mount Holyoke (1-8) will play at Elms College on Tuesday at 6:30pm, in the Lyons' final game of 2025.
