Women’s Basketball Sprints Past Lyons in Season Opener, Wilson Collects First Win

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College women's basketball team opened up the 2023-24 season in resounding fashion on Wednesday night, breezing past Mount Holyoke College 77-34 in non-conference action at the Yarnall Athletic Center. The victory was not just the first of the season for Mitchell, but also the first for Ashley Wilson, who was making her collegiate head coaching debut with the Mariners.

Senior Jurmia Dumas (Bridgeport, Conn.) was one of four Mitchell players to finish in double-figures, pouring in a game-high 26 points on 10-13 shooting. Dumas added five rebounds and four assists, while fellow senior Yasmine Santos (Pawtucket, R.I.) filled up the stat sheet to the tune of 20 points, 14 rebounds, six steals, and four assists. Freshman Inonda Peterson (Houston, TX) added 13 points in her collegiate debut, and sophomore Jamya Beddoe (New London, Conn.) chipped in 12, shooting 43% from beyond the arc.

The Mariners led wire to wire, building a 21-8 edge after the first period, which ballooned to 20 points by halftime. Dumas led Mitchell out of the break, scoring 12 points on 5-5 shooting in the third stanza, which allowed the home squad's advantage to increase to 32 heading into the final 10 minutes of play. The lead would grow as large as 43 down the stretch, as Mitchell's 77 points were the most scored in a season opener by the program since November of 2019.

Jamieson Dean led Mount Holyoke with seven points off the bench, while Marley Berano and Libby Harris scored five apiece, and Sofia Francisco pulled down a team-best eight rebounds.

Mitchell shot 42.2% from the floor, 58.1% from the free throw line, and won the battle in the paint, outrebounding the Lyons 39-24. The Mariners also forced 33 turnovers, turning those takeaways into 35 points, while only giving the ball away 12 times.

The Mariners (1-0, 0-0 GNAC) will return to play on Saturday, November 18th, when they square off against Smith College in the Lafrance Hospitality Tournament hosted by UMass Dartmouth. The Lyons (0-1, 0-0 NEWMAC) play next on Saturday, November 11th, when they host Dean College.