Albany, NY - The women made their spring semester debut Saturday morning against Fulton Montgomery Community College in an entertaining back and forth battle. 

Right from the 10am tip-off freshman Samantha Howland (Whitehall, NY) decided to dominate. With 7 of the team's 11 points in the first quarter, she helped the Panthers keep the score tied by the end of the period. In the second, the Raiders started hot building a 6 point lead for themselves, but once again they ran into Sam Howland. Leading the way with 9 points in the second, the Panthers went on a 12-5 run to secure a one point halftime lead. 

In the second half, the Raiders got some of their momentum back as they rebuilt a 6 point lead for themselves by the end of the third. In the fourth, the Raiders pushed their lead to double digits, but the Panthers didn't give up.  Feeding the hot hand, they cut the lead down to 4 points, but the Raiders were able to ice the game at the free throw line. Howland finished with a monstrous 32 points and 15 rebounds while adding 3 steals and 3 blocks. Emma Russell (Brushton, NY) and Isabella Mancini (Galway, NY) combined for 14 points while Amanda Salisbury (Johnsonville, NY) added 3 blocks and 3 steals of her own. 

The Panthers would ultimately lose the nail biter by a score of 56-49. They'll have a few days rest before their next game on Wednesday evening at home against Vermont State University Randolph. 

How to follow the Panthers: For the latest information on ACPHS athletics, visit acphspanthers.com or check out the ACPHS athletics social media platforms on Instgram @ACPHSPanthers or X @ACPHSAthletics. 

Written by Angelo Oddo.