Auburn, Maine - The women's basketball team traveled to Maine this weekend to take on both UMaine Augusta and Central Maine.
For their first game, they took on the Central Maine Mustangs on Monday afternoon. The short handed Panthers had an ugly start to the game that included 13 first quarter turnovers. The Panthers only made four field goals in the period and found themselves down 24-9. Despite shooting 50% from the field in the first half, they still found themselves losing by 29 points at the break.
After halftime, the Panthers stepped up defensively and held the Mustangs to 40% from the field, including missing every three point attempt. The Panthers also got rolling offensively as 6 different players scored in the period. The Mustangs still managed to outscore the Panthers 16-15 to extend their lead. In the fourth, things fell apart again as the team made only one shot the entire period.
The Panthers would lose the game 78-39. The team finished with 35 turnovers on only 35% shooting. Samantha Howland (Whitehall, NY) finished with 11 points and 5 rebounds while Isabella Mancini added 8 points and Emma Russell recorded 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists. On the bright side, the Panthers had an assist on every single basket in the game.
The next morning, the Panthers took on the UMA Moose. Similar to the previous day's game, this one started out very rough for the short handed Panthers. The Moose played exceptional defense in the first half, forcing 10 turnovers and holding the Panthers to only two field goals. The 4 points in a half marked a season low for the team.
Things were better in the second half, but still not good enough. The Panthers scored 9 points in the third, but still found themselves losing by a substantial margin. Things finally started clicking for them in the fourth, as Samantha Howland (Whitehall, NY), Emma Russell (Brushton, NY) and Adriana Yuret (Mayfield, NY) each made two shots in the period. The Panthers outscored the Moose 16-15 in the last period, but they would still lose by a score of 72-29.
Russell would lead the way with 11 points and 4 assists while Howland and Yuret combined for 16 points and 12 rebounds. The Panthers will play their third game in three days tomorrow evening as they host the Paul Smith's Bobcats in the regular season finale.
Tomorrow's game is the cancer awareness game (that was previously rescheduled), so wear purple if you plan on attending!
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.
