Both teams traded baskets to open the game, until a three-pointer from Yuan sparked a 15-5 run that resulted in a 19-9 advantage at 8:03. The Owls (4-5) answered by nailing three consecutive shots from behind the arc during the next three minutes. On MIT’s next possession, Karen Kinnaman nailed a jumper to extend its margin to three (21-18). Westfield State countered with a lay-up from Meghan McCarthy and then took the lead on a jumper from Becky Passetto. She then drained a three to give the Owls their largest lead (25-21) with 2:52 remaining. The Engineers cut the deficit to one with a free-throw from Sharon Prange and a basket by Kinnaman within 45 seconds. A put-back by Katrina Crotts off a missed free-throw gave Westfield a 27-24 advantage. Yuan knotted the game by sinking a trey with eight seconds on the clock.
The Owls wasted little time regaining the lead in the second stanza as Lauren Sylvain drained her third shot from three-point range after 10 seconds had expired. Katie Sylvain quickly added a lay-up, resulting in a five-point margin within the first minute. Like the first half, both squads traded baskets until Westfield State established a six-point lead (52-46) at the 8:02 mark. Christa Margossian converted a lay-up during MIT’s next possession only to be answered with a free-throw from Andrea Wasuk. The Engineers narrowed the margin to two (53-51) on a three-point play from Cherelle Walls at 5:12.
Westfield State, which had struggled from the charity stripe throughout most of the game, found success as Mary Mueller made both of her shots while Lauren Sylvain drained three to give her squad its largest lead of the game (58-51) with 4:30 left to play. MIT tallied five unanswered points during the next three minutes, but it was not enough as a pair of lay-ups from Wasuk and a free-throw from Katie Sylvain sealed the win.
For the Engineers, Kinnaman totaled 10 points while Prange finished with a team-high six rebounds and three steals. Kimberly Soo Hoo dished out a game-high eight assists.
Lauren Sylvain had a solid shooting performance as she went 7-of-14 from the floor, including hitting 4-of-9 from three-point range and 3-of-3 from the free-throw line. Wasuk posted 13 points as Katie Sylvain registered 11 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Passetto notched nine points, six steals and six rebounds coming off the bench for the Owls.
The next game for MIT will be on Thursday, Jan. 5 at 6:00 p.m. when it kicks off NEWMAC play at Babson College.