Worcester, Mass. (January 25) -- Assumption College head coach Kerry Phayre won her 300th game as the Assumption College women's basketball head coach as the Hounds defeated American International by a 55-47 final in Northeast-10 Conference play on Saturday afternoon at Laska Gym. The victory improves the Hounds to an 8-1 mark at home this season.
In an extremely slow-moving opening half to start, the Hounds opened up a 9-6 edge with 15:43 left after a fastbreak layup following a steal by sophomore Kelly Conley (Ellington, Conn./Ellington). The Hounds continued to lead at 13-12 with just 6:38 remaining before AIC eventually regained the advantage at 14-13 on a layup from Kamika Mason. After the Yellow Jackets pushed the lead up to 15-13, the Hounds embarked on an 8-1 run, capped by a turnaround jumper from junior Caitlin Ackerman (Nashua, N.H./Nashua South). The hosts seemed in control at 21-16 after Ackerman's basket with just 48 seconds left in the period and continued to lead 23-18 with 4.1 left after a pair of free throws from senior Shannon Ray (Yonkers, N.Y./Ursuline Academy). However, AIC's Alyssa Roach caught the ensuing inbounds pass and drain a near-halfcourt three at the buzzer to send the game into the break at just 23-21 in favor of Assumption.
The Hounds shot just 27.3 percent from the field in the half and were 1-for-7 from three, with Ray leading the first-half scoring with 11 points. The Yellow Jackets struggled as well, shooting just 31.8 percent while turning the ball over nine times over the first 20 minutes. Assumption held a 24-18 first-half edge on the boards, led by seven rebounds from senior captain Jamie Insel (Clinton, N.J./Voorhees).
In the second half, the visitors took a 27-25 lead with 16:44 left on a layup from Sydney Tepley. The Yellow Jackets extended that lead up to as many as five at 36-31 before a Hounds 5-0 rally tied the contest after an Insel layup. Another Insel layup at the 6:06 mark pushed Assumption in front at 38-36 before an AIC three from Brianna Bishop gave the Yellow Jackets their final lead of the game.
AIC pulled within 43-41 on a layup from Mason with 3:15 remaining, but the Hounds were a perfect 12-for-12 from the line over the rest of the game, including 6-for-6 from Conley.
Ackerman paced the Hounds with 15 points, including a 5-for-5 showing at the free throw line. Ray added 13 points and three assists in 34 minutes, while Insel finished with a 12-point, 16-rebound double-double. Insel's showing was her seventh double-double of the season.
No Yellow Jackets finished in double figures in scoring or rebounding as AIC was led in scoring by Krista Ferrentino with nine points and in rebounding by Tepley with nine boards.
Assumption shot 29.8 percent from the field for the game and was 1-for-13 from three, but knocked down a season-best 20-of-22 free throw attempts. AIC shot 32.2 percent from the field in the game, but just 46.2 percent from the charity stripe.
With the win, the Hounds improve to 11-6 overall and 7-5 in Northeast-10 play, while the Yellow Jackets drop to 11-7 overall and 5-7 in the league.
Assumption is back in action on Tuesday, January 28th as the Hounds host Pace University for a 5:30 p.m. start at Laska Gym.
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