Blazers hold off AMCATS in closing seconds

PAXTON, Mass. – Led by Erika Murphy's (Torrington, Conn.) double-double (14 points, 13 rebounds) the Elms College women's basketball team defeated Anna Maria College 55-53 in non-conference action at The Fuller Activities Center on Tuesday night. The win improves the Blazers to 2-3 (0-0 NECC), while the loss drops the AMCATS to 2-3 (0-0 TCCC). AMC's Samantha Ashton (Worcester, Mass.) led all players in scoring, dropping a game-high 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field, while also grabbing seven rebounds for Anna Maria. Chelsea Blair (Holland, Mass.) added 12 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks in the loss, while sophomore Allison McCarthy (Lynn, Mass.) dished-out a game-high eight assists for the AMCATS. For the visitors, Murphy added five assists to go along with her double-double, while Katie Condon (Sandy Hook, Conn.) chipped in with 11 points, hitting 7-of-9 from the line. The game was closely contested from the outset, featuring 10 ties and 11 lead changes. The AMCATS benefited from a 25-7 edge in points off of turnovers, while the Blazers' bench outscored Anna Maria's by a 17-11 margin. The two teams came out of the gate and battled to a 17-17 tie through the first 12 minutes of action. Leading 21-20, AMC went on a 7-0 run to build an eight-point advantage with just 2:30 remaining in the half, and eventually took a 32-26 lead into the locker room. The Blazers came out of the break hungry, starting on an 11-4 run to regain the lead at 37-36. The AMCATS trailed by five with 5:00 remaining, but received two layups by Blair and a bucket from Ashton to cut the Blazers lead to just one at 54-53 with two minutes remaining. The Blazers held on to the one point lead into the final minute of play, but after a clutch steal by AMC freshman Kayla Cummings (Auburn, Maine) the AMCATS had the ball and a chance to take the lead with just 25 seconds on the clock. However, a controversial offensive foul was called on Anna Maria, giving the Blazers the ball and all but sealing the victory. The AMCATS were forced to send the Blazers to the line, where Condon hit one-of-two free throws to push the lead to 55-53. Anna Maria's Allison McCarthy was able to get off a last second heave from roughly 40-feet out, but the shot fell short, giving the Blazers the hard-fought victory. The Blazers return to the court on Saturday when they face Castleton State on the road at 2:00 pm. The AMCATS will play again this Friday when they take part in the opening round of the Hockenbury Tournament in Norwich, Vt. Photo Courtesy of David Sheridan for AMC Sports Information