AMCATS hold off Mustangs for 57-51 victory

PAXTON, Mass. - Sophomore Chelsea Blair (Holland, Mass.) scored 13 points while leading all players with 14 rebounds and four blocks as the Anna Maria College women's basketball team was able to hold off Mount Ida College for a 57-51 victory at The Fuller Activities Center on Tuesday night. With the win, the AMCATS are over .500 for the first time since the month of November, improving their season mark to 6-5, while the loss drops the Mustangs to 3-7 overall. The AMCATS were led by Blair's double-double, while junior Samantha Ashton (Worcester, Mass.) dropped a team-high 15 points, and sophomore Tonique Adkins (New Haven, Conn.) added 12 points and seven rebounds in the win. Junior Jeileen Rivera (Springfield, Mass.) paced the Mustangs with an impressive double-double which included a game-high 20 points with a team-best 13 rebounds and four steals. Junior Shannon Wood (Gorham, Maine) also had a solid game, finishing in double-figures with 12 points on the night, while sophomore Kayla Musty (Topsham, Vt.) grabbed six rebounds and three steals for the Mustangs. The AMCATS controlled the first half, knocking down 46.4% of their shots from the floor while holding the Mustangs to just 18.5% shooting during the period to go into the locker room leading 29-13. Anna Maria excelled down low, holding the edge in rebounds (25-13), points in the paint (22-6), and second chance points (10-1). The AMCATS also ran the floor well in the first half, outscoring the Mustangs 10-0 on the fast break and 7-1 off turnovers.Anna Maria continued to pull away in the second half, stretching their lead to 20 with just 7:30 remaining. However, that's when the Mustangs made their move, switching to a full-court press and forcing the AMCATS into several turnovers to ignite a 12-0 run, cutting the AMC lead to just eight with 3:26 to play. The Mustangs continued to apply the pressure, and after a jumper from junior Katie Morvan (Northbridge, Mass.) and a layup by Rivera they were within just six points of the lead with one minute remaining. Nevertheless, the AMCATS were able to regroup, hitting 5-of-6 clutch free throws down the stretch, as Adkins drained all four of her attempts from the line to help seal the 57-51 victory. Both teams return to action after the winter break on January 6th, with the Mustangs traveling to face Framingham State at 6:00 pm, and the AMCATS battling Albertus Magnus on the road at 7:00 pm. Photo Courtesy of David Sheridan for AMC Sports Information