MIT HOLDS ON TO TOP WOMEN'S BASKETBALL, 72-69

THE BASICS:

- Score: MIT 72, Emmanuel College 69

- Records: MIT (6-3); Emmanuel (6-2)

- Location: Cambridge, Mass. (Rockwell Cage)

THE LEAD: First-year Christina Antonakakis (Holmdel, N.J.) drained a three-pointer with 1:09 left to play, giving the MIT women's basketball team a 72-69 victory over Emmanuel College on Saturday afternoon. One of four players to reach-double digits in scoring, senior Kristen Ngan (Sudbury, Mass.) led the way for the Engineers with 14 points to go along with five rebounds and two steals. Yuleska Ramirez-Tejeda paced the Saints with a game-high 17 points and 12 rebounds in addition to contributing four assists and three steals.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

- Tied at eight midway through the opening frame, a layup by Riley Lahiff sparked a 14-3 run that spanned four minutes. MIT replied with treys from sophomore Jocelyn Luizzi (Colchester, Conn.) and senior Dolly Yuan (San Jose, Calif.), trimming the deficit to 22-17 at the end of the quarter.

- Emmanuel opened the second stanza with a Maddie McLaughlin three-pointer, which was matched by senior Kara Holinski (Livonia, Mich.). A layup by Ramirez-Tejeda moved the score to 27-20 at the 7:11 mark. The Engineers responded with a Holinski jumper on their next possession, sparking a 17-7 run which resulted in a 37-34 lead at halftime.

- The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair as there were 10 lead changes and two ties. Trailing 51-49 with 3:09 on the clock, a layup by Luizzi kicked off a string of 12 unanswered points that created a 61-51 advantage at the 7:41 mark of the fourth quarter.

- Beginning with a put-back from Ramirez-Tejeda, Emmanuel went on an 18-6 run as two McLaughlin free throws put the Saints in front, 69-67 with 2:01 on the clock. The Engineers quickly tied the game courtesy of a V'Dovec layup.

- After an exchange of possessions, Antonakakis buried her game-winning three-pointer with 1:09 left to play. McLaughlin's ensuing three-point attempt was off the mark and after an unsuccessful MIT possession, Emmanuel was unable to capitalize on a pair of layups during the final seconds of the game.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• McLaughlin recorded 16 points, four assists, and two steals while Caitlin Cipriano posted 12 points and five rebounds. Lahiff generated eight points, a game-high five steals, and four rebounds as Mary McCarthy hauled in 11 rebounds.
• V'Dovec finished with 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds while Antonakakis totaled 12 points. Luizzi tallied 11 points, four rebounds, and two steals as Holinski grabbed three steals.
• Emmanuel ended the day with advantages in rebounds (45-33), points in the paint (38-34), points off turnovers (18-17), and second-chance points (12-9). The Saints, however, struggled at the free-throw line as they went 10-of-24.
• This was the first time MIT and Emmanuel have faced each other since December 4, 2007. In addition, this was the Engineers' first victory over the Saints as they have won the last 11 meetings.
• EC Head Coach Andy Yosinoff remains one coaching victory shy of tying the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball record for career coaching victories. He recorded his 814 win on Thursday and is now one away from tying long time Scranton head coach Mike Strong for the all-time record at 815 victories.

UP NEXT:

• MIT hits the road on Tuesday, Dec. 11 for a 6:00 p.m. tip off at Framingham State University. Emmanuel, meanwhile, will travel to Rhode Island College on Monday, Dec. 10 for a 7:30 p.m. start

*Release courtesy of MIT Athletic Communications