Ashton Scores 21, AMCATS Fall to Mustang

Tuesday, February 14, 2012 (Newton, Massachusetts) - Three Mount Ida College women's basketball players recorded 16 points each en route to the Mustangs fourth Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) victory in a row over visiting Anna Maria College Tuesday evening by a score of 66-59 on "Play 4Kay" day raising breast cancer awareness.  The hosts used an impressive 51 percent shooting from the floor going 26-51 along with causing 24 visiting turnovers to solidify the win.

With the victory, the Mustangs improve to an overall record of 14-10 for the highest season win total during Jack Casey's four year tenure with a league slate of 8-4.  AMC falls to 5-19 and 1-11 in GNAC standings.

The visitors saw a game-high 21 points from senior guard Samantha Ashton (Worcester, MA/Burncoat) on 8-15 shooting while junior forward Chelsea Blair (Holland MA/Tantasqua) chipped in 12 points and eight caroms. 

The first half was very close with the Mustangs opening up a six point (12-6) advantage through the first seven minutes (12:50) of action capped on a Fedigan jumper. 

Anna Maria followed powering through a quick 10-2 run finalized at the 8:39 mark on a successful trifecta from sophomore guard Liz Sama (Windsor, CT/Windsor) going ahead 16-14.

Mount Ida rallied back going ahead by a half-high eight points (26-18) following a good three pointer from Rivera with 4:37 left before the break. 

The host lead was short lived while the AMCATS mounted an 8-0 run tying the score at 26-26 capped on an Ashton jumper with two minutes to go.

Mount Ida headed into the locker room with a 31-28 advantage finalized after an Acosta jumper for the last basket of the half. 

No more than a bucket separated the score early in the second stanza knotted at 35-35 through the opening three ticks (16:58) after a Fedigan lay-in.

The Mustangs eventually took over the lead following a 9-2 run up seven points (44-37) after a three-point-play-the-hard-way by Acosta with 13:11 to go in the contest.

Mount Ida held on to the advantage up by a couple of baskets through the next four minutes (9:15) leading 50-42 capped on a Bolio lay-in. 

Anna Maria cut the lead to a deuce, twice, through the next couple of ticks trailing 52-50 with 6:45 showing on the clock after an Ashton lay-in. 

The action went back-and-forth with the Mustangs going ahead and keeping their opponents at arms length up 64-56 with a minute and a half remaining in the game following a Rivera jumper. 

Mount Ida eventually closed out the 66-59 win with free throw shooting down the stretch to capture their 14^th win of the season.

The AMCATS are back in action for their final game of the season on Saturday afternoon when they travel to Emerson College for a 12:00 p.m. match-up.