Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke Athletics
MHC Basketball won a game on Nov. 25, 2025.
By Bri Shmulewitz ’28
Staff Writer
Nov. 25 was not just the last day of classes before break, but also the last day of the years-long November losing streak that has plagued the Mount Holyoke basketball team. Their 45-43 win over Lesley University was their first time they have won a game before December since defeating Dean College in November of 2022.
This record is not the only part of this season which has improved since last year. In the past seven games, they have averaged 47.4 points and 45.4 rebounds per game — an improvement from last year’s 44.4 points and 42 rebounds per game over a total of 25 games. The offense is not the only part of their play to make a leap. The team is also averaging 4.3 more steals and 1.8 more blocks overall than last season so far.
That combination was the cause of their narrow victory. The Lyons were losing 43-39 going into the fourth quarter, but completely turned it around at the end. In the final 10 minutes of the game, they were the only team to score, adding six points to their total, allowing them to lead by one after Alex Twomey ’26 made a free throw with 19 seconds left. The Lynx still had a chance, but with four seconds left, Mount Holyoke’s Sofia Francisco ’27 rejected the potentially game-tying shot of Lesley’s Shayla King. The Lynx got the rebound and attempted another basket, but Francisco — whose 24 blocks are the third most in D3 women’s basketball at the time of writing — simply blocked it again as the buzzer ran out.
It was not just the starters that won them the game, though Twomey’s and Taryn White’s ’26 double doubles certainly helped. The Lyons finished with more points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks than the Lynx and the bench players were a major part of that. They added five points, 10 rebounds, three assists and four steals to the Lyons totals, contributions that proved essential in a game decided by a mere two points.
The season has just begun for the Lyons and the future is bright. They next play Elms College on Tuesday, Dec. 9, in Chicopee, Massachusetts, where they hope to add to their win total in the last game of 2025.
Karishma Ramkarran ’27 contributed fact checking.