SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- The Mount Holyoke College basketball team took advantage of its fullest complement of available players in more than a calendar year in a 60-51 victory over Bard College on Tuesday afternoon in Mildred S. Howard Gymnasium.
The Lyons (4-10) took an 18-16 lead through one quarter, then used stifling defense over a 15-minute span stretching into the third quarter to build a lead as high as 18 points en route to their third win in the past five games.
The visiting Raptors (3-10) were held scoreless for over nine minutes in the first half and to just four points from the 1:46 mark of the first quarter until 4:47 remained in the third quarter, a stretch of 16 minutes and 59 seconds, by which time the Lyons had built a 34-20 lead.
Bard charged back to within 45-39 with 8:00 remaining, as Shirley Dong scored five points in a quick 9-0 run to start the fourth quarter. Mount Holyoke regained a double-digit lead with a pair of free throws by senior Alex Twomey (Nutley, N.J.) and a layup by senior Taryn White (Alexandria, Va.) set up by sophomore Ania McMichael (Glastonbury, Conn.). A 3-pointer by junior Hannah Goen (New London, N.H.) gave the Lyons a 52-40 lead with 5:56 left.
A 3-pointer by Ava Gregory with 4:12 remaining, and another Dong three with 49 seconds to go helped the Raptors again close within six points at 54-48. Dong made her third three of the quarter with six seconds left to make it 56-51. McMichael was fouled and made both free throws to ice the win.
Dong led Bard with 14 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, to go with nine rebounds. Lexi Miller had 11 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks, and Erin Tobes added 11 points, four assists and three steals off the Raptor bench.
Twomey scored 14 points, including 8-8 shooting at the foul line, and added five rebounds, three assists, and three steals to lead Mount Holyoke. Junior Sofia Francisco (Boston, Mass.) had 12 points and eight rebounds, and first-year Anju Manfred (Osaka, Japan) had an impressive first career start with 10 points, five rebounds and two steals. McMichael and first-year Justine Dessureault (Trois-Rivieres, Quebec) combined for 12 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three steals to lead a productive Lyons bench.
McMichael returned from injury for her fourth game of the season and first since Jan. 5. Returning from a longer-term injury was sophomore forward Helena Robinson (Gales Ferry, Conn.), who played seven minutes in her first game in exactly one year, since Jan. 13, 2025. Robinson averaged 8.9 points and 6.6 rebounds in 14 games as a rookie.
Mount Holyoke earned advantages in turnovers (16-19) and rebounding (46-40), and shot a season-best 19-23 (.826) at the free-throw line.
Mount Holyoke rose to 3-2 all-time with its second straight win against Bard.
The Lyons will open NEWMAC play on Saturday at 1pm as they host Wellesley College. Bard will next play at Union Friday at 5:30pm.
