CAMBRIDGE, Mass. –
Riley O'Sullivan's putback with 1:34 left to play created enough of a cushion as MIT went on to defeat UC Santa Cruz, 53-49, on Friday afternoon.
Ruth Lanouette led all players with 19 points while Emilie Ngo powered the Banana Slugs with 18 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and a block.
THE BASICS:
- Score: MIT 53, Santa Cruz 49
- Records: MIT (4-7 Overall); Santa Cruz (8-10 Overall)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- In a back-and-forth first quarter, a layup by Bria Tate gave UCSC a 10-8 lead at the end of the frame.
- The Banana Slugs' slim cushion grew to 20-14 at the 4:19 mark of the second quarter courtesy of two Ngo free throws and a jumper from Jenna Gorton. MIT responded with eight unanswered points, however, another free throw by Ngo and a three pointer from Alyssa Jackson created a 26-22 lead with 1:18 on the clock. The Engineers countered with a trey from Rachael Zacks with 22 seconds remaining before halftime.
- The tight play continued in the third quarter as MIT tied the score twice before going in front, 39-38, following a free throw and then a fastbreak layup by Lanouette at the 1:57 mark.
- UCSC knotted the game at 41-41 on a free throw by Tate after 1:27 elapsed in the fourth quarter. The Engineers responded with a jumper from Mary Lobon and two free throws from Lanouette, but the Banana Slugs narrowed the gap to two points on two occasions, the last at 47-45 on a layup by Sarah Reuter at the 7:04 mark. Olivia Joseph buried a three pointer, giving MIT some breathing room with 4:57 on the clock. A defensive battle ensued until Ngo's jumper trimmed the deficit to 50-47 with 2:11 left to play.
- O'Sullivan replied with her pivotal putback, however, Danielle Tyner quickly sank a jumper of her own. Following an exchange of possessions, April Chan secured the win with a free throw with six seconds remaining.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Lobon finished with 13 points and nine rebounds as O'Sullivan produced eight rebounds, five steals, and four points.
- Joseph recorded nine points while Chan dished out four assists.
- Tyner notched 10 points as Reuter tallied eight points, six rebounds, and two steals.
- This was the first meeting between both programs.
UP NEXT:
- MIT travels to Colby College for a 7:00 PM game on Monday, January 5.
- Santa Cruz will visit Cal Maritime on Saturday, January 10 for a 2:00 PM tip off.
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