Holyoke, MA - The basketball teams headed to Holyoke for their first road games of the season, including the season opener for the women. 

The women tipped off first in a game where signs of rust and first game jitters had a little bit of a slow start for the Panthers, scoring just 11 points in the first quarter to the Cougars' 15.  The second quarter was nearly a copy and paste as the Cougars outscored the Panthers 14-11 for the 29-22 halftime lead.  Ava Gaspie (Mechanicville, NY) was a major factor in keeping the deficit to single digits by scoring 9 of the team's 22.  

In the second half, the Panthers finally woke up.  They scored 21 in the third thanks to a big quarter from Adora Cho (Great Neck, NY) who had 8 in the period.  Cho helped the Panthers bring the Cougars lead down to 4 points by the end of the quarter.  In the fourth, it was Sam Howland's (Whitehall, NY) turn to pop off.  She had 11 of the team's 21 points, bringing her total to a game high 20 points.  The Panthers rode their momentum to complete the comeback victory 64-60.  

After the women's game, the men were supposed to also play Holyoke, a game which the Cougars ultimately had to forfeit.  The teams ended up scrimmaging, despite the forfeit. 

The women will head to SUNY Delhi this weekend to compete in their Tip-Off tournament while the men host Vaughn College on Friday night. 

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 Instagram @ACPHSPanthers or X @ACPHSAthletics.

Written by Angelo Oddo.