Albany, NY - The Panthers played in their first home doubleheader of the spring semester on Wednesday night against conference rival Vermont State University Randolph. 

The women tipped off first at 5pm and played well in the first quarter, outsourcing the Knights 13-11 behind Amanda Salisbury's (Johnsonville, NY) 4 points and 3 steals. The second quarter however was a struggle as the team shot a mere 30% from the field which included a halfcourt heave from Emma Russell (Brushton, NY) at the buzzer as the Panthers trailed by 7 points.  After the break, the Panthers came out roaring as Russell scored another 9 points in the third. At the beginning of the fourth, the Panthers briefly retook the lead, but the Knights ended the game on an 18-3 run to secure the victory. Russell finished with 20 points (shooting a very impressive 4/5 from deep) while Salisbury and Samantha Howland (Whitehall, NY) combined for 17 points in the loss. 

Following the women's game, the men tipped off in what was yet another struggle. The Knights played excellent defense, jumping out to an early 10-2 lead.  The Panthers shot only 25% from the field in the first half as they turned the ball over 10 times which ultimately led to a 15 point deficit. Tristan Lisbony (Houston, TX) was the team's leading scorer at the break with 7 points. The team played far better in the second half, shooting 65% led by Alex Carrillo (Akron, OH) who shot a perfect 4/4 from the field, and DJ Bridges (Hamsburg, PA) who scored 6 off the bench. Despite the good shooting, the Panthers continued to hurt themselves by turning the ball over 15 times, letting the Knights score just as many as the Panthers in the half.  The Panthers lose 65-50 and find themselves in a 5 game slump. 

Both teams will play their next game on Saturday afternoon in another doubleheader, this time against SMCC. 

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.