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Women's Hoops Downs Mt. Holyoke

Red Hawks defeat the Lyons, 56-44

Caitlyn Charest

Box Score

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. - Behind double digit efforts from four players, including 12 points from senior Missy Jackman (Danvers, MA/Danvers), the Rensselaer women's basketball team defeated Mt. Holyoke, 56-44 in non-conference action this evening.  The Red Hawks improve to 3-4 overall while the Lyons drop to 1-4 on the season.

Rensselaer came out shooting in the first half, jumping out to an eight point lead (14-6) at the 10:28 mark.  Consistent shooting by senior Brittney O'Neal (Clinton, CT/The Morgan School), who scored the Red Hawks' next five points, saw the visitors hold a 19-6 advantage with 8:38 remaining.

The homestanding Lyons pulled to within six (21-15) with two minutes to go, but a pair of free throws by O'Neal and a three-pointer from senior Sarah Briggs (Mount Desert, ME/Ellsworth) made it 26-15 and RPI headed into the locker room leading by nine at the half.

Sophomore Jess Olson (Gilbert, AZ/Highland), who scored 17 of her game-high 21 points in the second half, pulled Mt. Holyoke to within three with 16:18 left, but Rensselaer regained the momentum to take a 13-point lead at 11:56.

Following a three-point shot by RPI junior Kerry Hayes (Nashua, NH/Nashua), the two teams went scoreless over the next three minutes.  The Red Hawks finally established a rhythm as the clock wound down, keeping a 10-point or more lead through the end of the game.

In addition to O'Neal's 11 points and Jackman, who had five rebounds and a game-best five assists, RPI saw junior Elizabeth Barker (Suffield, CT/Cathedral) chip in with 12 points and a game-best 21 rebounds.  Classmate Caitlyn Charest (Swansea, MA/LaSalle) added 11 points, four assists and three steals.

For Mt. Holyoke, Olson added 21 rebounds while junior Katie Austen (Mount Sinai, NY/Mount Sinai) had 15 points and eight rebounds with a game-best four steals.

RPI is now idle until December 28th when it heads to Texas to compete in the South Padre Island Shootout.  The Red Hawks face St. Joseph's (NY) in a 10am tip-off.  Mt. Holyoke returns to the court on Saturday at Roger Williams (1pm).

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